


A Life Deliciously Ordinary

by MadHatter2019



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Friendship/Love, Grief/Mourning, Implied Sexual Content, Infinity Wars didn't happen, Medical School, Mind Control Aftermath & Recovery, Post-Civil War (Marvel), Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2020-10-05 10:28:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 31,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20487398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadHatter2019/pseuds/MadHatter2019
Summary: Bucky Barnes returns to the Avengers Tower two months after going into cryofreeze in Wakanda, but he can't seem to settle in.  He feels awkward, enclosed, and unable to relax.  He still feels the weight of the Winter Soldier.  While visiting Brooklyn for some relief from the pressure, he stumbles upon a bar and a medical student that slowly brings him out of his shell and changes his perspective.  He feels comfortable around her and her family, but will she ever see him as anything other than a friend?    Infinity Wars doesn't happen.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is much appreciated! I did some editing to Kat's character to put her in the final year of her residency rather than medical school. Sorry, it's been so long since an update, but I am working on my Ph.D. and had some homework to complete. Chapter Two is coming soon.

Chapter One

Bucky Barnes pulled his baseball hat down a little tighter on his head, bracing himself against the bitter wind as he walked down the street in Brooklyn. It was still almost eight weeks before Christmas, but near blizzard conditions had set in over New York City. Bucky did not mind the weather as he continued down the street toward his intended destination. He had only been back from Wakanda for two months and was finally settled into the Avenger’s tower, but it was still awkward being around the rest of the team at times and today was one of those times. Most of the team had decided to stay in the tower overnight because of the weather, so Bucky decided to return to the Irish pub he had found shortly after arriving back in New York while visiting the old neighborhood. 

Bucky pulled up the collar of his leather jacket and crossed the street, O’Leary’s coming into sight when he saw a small woman walking toward him, reading a book while she hurried in his direction. Dipping his head to avoid being recognized, Bucky was keeping his eyes on the sidewalk when he heard a loud yell and a thud before complete silence. Looking up, he found the woman lying on her back in front of the bar and completely prone, the book she had been attempting to read laying near her feet. 

“Son of a bitch,” the woman muttered, content to just lay there for a second in frustration with her eyes closed after slipping on a patch of ice. It had been a long, exhausting day and this was just the icing on the cake. It was not until after hearing footsteps approach that she remembered seeing a man walking toward her on the sidewalk.

“Um…ma’am…are you okay,” Bucky said, looking down at the small woman with a mix of amusement and concern.

“Just peachy! Nothing wounded but my pride,” the woman said as she opened her eyes to find the bluest set of eyes she had ever seen, and a face covered in dark scruff looking down at her from underneath the bill of a baseball hat. She realized in almost an instant that she was staring up at the face of James Buchanan Barnes, who was peering down at her in concern.

“Here let me help you…”, Bucky began to say when the door of the bar flew open and the man who Bucky knew as the owner stepped outside.

“Hey, short stack,” the man said with an amused smirk as he stared down at the woman in front of him. 

“Cam, I swear to God if you don’t salt this…”

“I did salt it. This is what you get for attempting to read and walk at the same time,” Cameron said sarcastically, bending down to be closer to where his lovely cousin lay on the concrete.

“Ugh,” the woman said before taking the hand that Bucky still had reached out though he was looking back and forth between the two individuals attempting to grasp the interaction between them. It took him a minute to realize that she had taken his hand and shake himself out of his surprise to help her regain her feet. 

“Thank you, Sergeant Barnes,” the woman said as she steadied herself and let go of his hand. 

“You…you know who I am,” Bucky said in shock, though his thoughts were interrupted when the woman started to flail again due to the ice, so he reached out and grabbed her arm again.

“You’re not exactly unrecognizable. I live above the bar, so I see just about everyone who is here regularly. You and Steve Rogers are sort of hometown heroes around here.” 

“Why didn’t you say anything,” Bucky asked as he grabbed her backpack and helped her walk toward Cam’s outstretched hand. 

“I figured you came here for some peace and quiet considering it’s a pub in Brooklyn instead of one closer to where you’re living. Thank you,” she said with a smile as Cam helped her walk inside the bar.

“You want dinner, short stack? Beef stew is going in the kitchen,” Cam said as he walked back to his customary place behind the bar.

“Sure, I’ll drop my stuff upstairs and be right down. Thank you again, Sergeant Barnes, for the assist.”

“No problem,” Bucky said, watching as the woman gave him a quick smile and made her way up the stairs that led to the floors above the bar. 

After she was out of sight, Bucky made his way to the bar and sat down as Cam set his usual drink, a bourbon straight up, in front of him with a smile. He peeled off his leather jacket, setting it on the stool next to him and set his cap down on the bar. Bucky’s dark brown hair was still the same length it had been eight months before when he had gone back into cryofreeze, barely brushing his shoulders in the back. Natasha had asked if he wanted to cut it, but he felt like hanging on to it for now, so he merely brushed it back away from his eyes with his gloved right hand before grabbing his drink. 

“Thanks for helping with Short Stack, by the way.”

“It was no problem. She lives here,” Bucky asked, his curiosity about the short woman getting the best of him when he normally sat in silence while watching the television above the bar. 

“Yeah,” Cam said, looking at the man sitting in front of him with his head cocked to the side in wonder. Bucky Barnes had been coming to his bar at least twice a week for almost the past month, often choosing quieter days, and rarely ever said a word besides ordering bourbon. Out of respect, Cam simply refilled his glass as requested and left the man alone. He usually sat quietly until closing time, left a good tip, and walked out without a word. 

“Hmm,” Bucky said, sipping his drink and turning his eyes up to the basketball game, leaving Cam to shake his head and walk toward the back of the bar toward the kitchen. 

Bucky sat in contented silence until he heard footsteps bounding down the stairs and he turned just in time to see the same woman he had helped up bounce around the corner. Now that she was not covered head-to-toe in winter gear, he watched as she flipped her long, red hair over one shoulder and walked toward him with a book in her hand. 

“Hey,” the woman said as she walked up to the bar.

“Hello,” Bucky said quietly as he quickly stood on his feet. Proper etiquette from before the war was still engrained within him, and you simply did not stay seated while a lady was still standing. The woman looked up at him in awe, not having realized how tall and sizable he was during their interactions earlier. Only standing five feet, three inches tall, the top of her head was square with his chest on his over six-foot frame, forcing her to tip her head upward.

“You’re a lot taller than you look on the news.”

Bucky watched her in silence, though amusement was apparent in his eyes, until she hopped up on the stool next to his before taking his seat again. He continued looking at her for several seconds while her attention was on opening the book she had brought with her, but he could not think of anything to actually say. Rather than stare in what he knew would be awkward silence, Bucky was turning back to the game when Cam walked out of the kitchen with a steaming bowl of stew and a spoon in his hand.

“I don’t think so, young lady, put the book away and eat something. You just came off a twelve-hour shift at the ER and probably didn’t eat a thing with substance,” Cam said, setting the bowl and spoon down in front of her and snatching the book out of her hand before she could protest.

“Cam, c’mon! I have a rotation in a new department tomorrow, and I don’t want to feel like an idiot,” the woman said, looking at the bartender with big, puppy dog eyes. 

“That look may work on Grandpa, but it doesn’t work on me and you know it. Besides, it’s Grandpa’s rules that say no studying during dinner. You’re going to do fine tomorrow, so relax and eat your food. Sergeant, would you like some as well? On the house.”

“Sure,” Bucky said with a nod and waited quietly while Cam disappeared back into the kitchen. Bucky assumed he could go back to silently watching the game but was sorely mistaken as the woman next to him struck up a conversation.

“So, did you grow up around here?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Bucky said, keeping his eyes on the game rather than watch as she turned on her stool to look at him while she ate. 

“Which street?”

“Just a few blocks over on Fletcher Street, ma’am.”

Buck turned back toward her when he heard a chuckle come from her direction to find her hurrying to swallow a bite so she could continue the conversation, “Oh…you don’t have to call me ma’am. My name’s Katherine, but most people just call me Kat.”

“You mean short stack isn’t your real name,” Bucky quipped feeling almost surprised by his own sarcastic humor as the look that passed across Kat’s face before laugher bubbled out of her. 

“No, that’s just what Cam has been calling me since we were kids,” Kat said, reaching over the bar to snatch back her textbook with a teasing wink in Bucky’s direction. 

“Hmm,” Bucky said with a low chuckle, taking another sip of his drink and returning his eyes to the television.

Kat noticed the movement and immediately felt bad about peppering him with conversation, “I’m so sorry, Sergeant Barnes. You come here for peace and quiet, and here I am talking your ear off. I’ll leave you to it.”

“I don’t mind,” Bucky said quietly before he could stop himself. The shocked look on his face clearly showed Kat that he was just as surprised by the admission as she was, but Bucky was also stunned that he genuinely felt that way. 

“Are you sure?”

Bucky nodded quickly before he could change his mind and attempted to think of something to say that consisted of more than three words. Since he had returned from Wakanda without his conditioning, Bucky had been attempting to become more like who he was before the war and was failing miserably. The art of easy conversation, something he had excelled at in the 40s, was not going to come back nearly as quickly as some of his memories. Steve kept telling him that it was okay that he was different, but Bucky sometimes felt at loose ends on how to interact with people. He was about to give up under the pressure of the expectant look on Kat’s face, but his eyes fell onto her textbook and his brain finally kicked in.

“What are you reading?”

Kat looked down at her textbook in surprise but recovered quickly after seeing the look of desperation on his face and returned her gaze to his with a kind smile on her face.

“A book on epidemiology for my rotation tomorrow in the infectious disease ward of the hospital.”

“Epidemiology?”

With that question in mind, Kat was off to the races explaining the term to the man sitting next to her and how important it was to the field of medicine. A few minutes later, Cam exited the kitchen with Bucky’s stew only to find the man’s attention not on the basketball game but glued to his cousin as she explained being in her last year of residency at St. Luke’s Hospital in Manhattan and what exams she was preparing to take to obtain her license to practice medicine. He stopped short in surprise, clearly stunned that Kat had managed to draw the soldier out of his shell even a little after four weeks of almost absolute silence from the man. Granted Kat did most of the talking, but Cam did hear Bucky contribute a question here and there as he set the soup down in the front of him and walked to the other end of the bar. It was not until the door opened ten minutes later and a small group of customers walked in to escape the snow that Kat realized how long they had been talking.

“Well, I had better get upstairs and finished studying for tonight. It was a pleasure to finally meet you, Sergeant Barnes,” Kat said as she hopped down from the stool and stood next to him. 

“Bucky,” he whispered softly, “it’s just Bucky.”

“Goodnight, Bucky,” Kat said with a kind smile, leaning over to place a small peck on his cheek and bounce away without another word, leaving the stoic man frozen in place at the gesture. 

Bucky watched her flounce away until she disappeared upstairs only to turn back and find Cam looking at him curiously as he refilled his bourbon.

“She’s um…she’s something else.”

“Yes, she is.”

“Is she always that…vivacious?”

“She used to be. There was a time that Kat could wring a smile out of anyone. Just seeing her was like having sunshine break through a stormy day.”

“What happened, if you don’t mind my asking,” curiosity lining Bucky’s face.

“Her parents died in a car accident the summer after her college graduation. A drunk driver passed out behind the wheel and hit them head on. They died instantly but it tore Kat’s world apart. She deferred medical school for a year and turned inward on herself, not talking to anyone or returning phone calls. Then she became angry to the point of being destructive of everything and everyone in her life. My folks brought her here to live in the extra apartment we have upstairs and signed her up for grief counseling. They took her twice a week, even when she fought them tooth and nail, but eventually it began to help, and she came back around. When it came time for her to start medical school, she threw herself into it full force.”

“And she’s back to her old self?”

“Not completely, no, but I did see some of that old spark tonight when she talked to you. It’s nice to see her do something besides study all the time so thank you for getting her to take a break, though I’m not sure that’s what you intended,” Cam said with a laugh at Bucky’s look of slight confusion as he walked away to wait on the customers that were now steadily coming in. 

Bucky looked around in surprise as Tuesday nights were normally pretty quiet, but the weather was driving everyone indoors. He attempted to remain in his seat and go back to the basketball game, but Bucky’s mind was racing concerning his interactions with Kat. It had been two months of constant struggle once Bucky returned to New York to live at the Avenger’s tower, from moving past the guilt of his past actions to accomplishing normal daily tasks now that no one controlled his mind. Being with the Steve and the team definitely helped, but it was no small feat that he just experienced the biggest sense of calm that he could remember in seventy years while talking to Kat. He instantly felt comfortable around her, a feeling he did not get often with strangers let alone those that knew him. It was an unfamiliar sensation that he suddenly knew he did not want to slip away, so Bucky quietly paid his tab and said a quick goodbye to Cam before walking out of the bar in a rush with a determined look on his face. 

Having taken the subway to reach Brooklyn due to the weather, Bucky sat in silence during the twenty-minute ride back to downtown Manhattan still trying to wrap his head around what just happened. He was still in a fog as he passed through security at the tower and walked into the common room to find most of the team loitering around the television. Steve was the first one to notice him, a look of surprise on his face as Bucky rarely ventured out of his room when the whole team was around.

“Hey Buck, where have you been?”

“Just went for a drink at a bar back home,” Bucky said, a timid yet determined look on his face as he scanned the group of people in front of him, looking for one in particular.

“We’re going to start a movie in a few minutes. Feel like joining in?”

“Sure,” Bucky said, not really paying attention as his eyes fell on who he was looking for, “um…Dr. Banner?”

The entire room froze in stunned silence at Bucky’s words. He had rarely spoken to any besides Steve since returning from Africa outside of polite pleasantries when people said hello him, and now he was initiating a conversation in front of the whole team.

Bruce managed to overcome his shock quicker than the rest and looked up at the man with a smile, “Yes, James?”

“Do you have any books on epidemiology?”

“Uh…I’m sure I do,” Bruce said, still quite surprised by both the question and the subject matter but more than willing to engage now that Bucky was actually speaking, “how about we head to my lab and see what I have on my stacks?”

“Great,” Bucky said, waiting for Bruce to stand and walking with him out of the common room, completely oblivious to the way the rest of the team was watching him. 

“Did Manchurian Candidate have a stroke or something,” Tony asked, using one of his nicknames for Bucky to break the tension in the room. The rest of the team merely chuckled and went back to their previous conversations, leaving Tony and Steve to look at each other in wonder.

“Well that’s new,” Steve said, still looking at Tony questioningly. 

Tony simply shrugged his shoulders and went back to his tablet, but the surprises did not stop there. When Bucky walked back into the common room with the book in his hands and sat down in an armchair behind the television area, the entire team once again paused in surprise. They were all content to stare at him until Bucky looked up from what he was reading and noticed.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Natasha said quickly, throwing everyone a pointed stare to leave him be, “we’re going to watch The Breakfast Club since you two fossils have some catching up to do.”

“Uh-huh,” Bucky said with a chuckle as he went back to his book. 

The entire team remained frozen for another second before Natasha nudged Clint to play the movie. Once the movie started, most of the team turned their attention to the television. Steve continued to look at his old friend in shock and wonder as everyone else settled down. Bucky simply read his book, occasionally looking up at the movie, but remaining focused on the book in his hands. Not wanting to spook him, Steve decided against asking him about this new behavior. It was a relief to see his oldest friend began to relax around the rest of the team, but he was curious as to what brought about this change of behavior and he was fairly certain it revolved around that bar in Brooklyn.


	2. Chapter Two

Steve and Tony were standing in the kitchen, talking over a cup of coffee when Bucky walked in with the same book on epidemiology in his hands.

“Hey Buck,” Steve said, moving out of his friend’s way so he could grab a cup of coffee.

“Morning,” Bucky said, tired from not having slept much the night before but noticeably more open than he had been for the past eight weeks.

Tony and Steve shared a look of curiosity as Bucky moved amongst them to fill his coffee cup and grab a donut out of the box on the counter. They watched in wonder as he broke his normal routine by sitting at the kitchen table and opened the book, reading while he ate his donut, rather than retreating back to his apartment within the tower. Tony cleared his throat and started their conversation back up, throwing Steve a look to leave Bucky alone, and they continued on this way until Bruce walked into the kitchen.

“Bucky, how far have you made it into the book?”

“Considering I’m still suffering from insomnia; I’ve been reading all night and am almost finished. Do you think she’d be interested in hearing about my mother’s experience with the Spanish Flu?”

“Absolutely. That would be a good example,” Bruce said, grabbing himself a glass of orange juice and a banana before walking over to where Bucky was reading without looking at anyone else in the kitchen.

They both missed that Tony and Steve once again stopped mid-conversation to watch the scene unfold before them. Tony watched the men at the table for several moments before taking Steve’s arm and pulling him out in the hallway.

“What hell is going on with popsicle in there? And who is she?”

“I don’t know, but whatever is going on its pulling Buck out of his shell.”

“And you’re not the least bit curious about what’s going on?”

“Of course, I am, but I’m not going to bagger him about something that’s helping him. At least not yet. And you’re not going to either,” Steve said after seeing a glint in Tony’s eyes he did not like.

Both men spent a few more seconds looking into the kitchen before going about their morning. Bucky soon finished his breakfast and finally put the book down to attend a training session against Natasha and a re-integration seminar for veterans with Sam, who had tweaked the normal content to allow for Bucky’s 70-year hiatus. By five p.m., Bucky was parking his motorcycle in front of O’Leary’s intent on knocking on the front door since it was not supposed to be open for another thirty minutes. Bucky knocked and waited, but no one came to answer the door. On a whim, he tried the doorknob to find that it opened and walked inside. He was soon faced with sensory overload as he entered the barroom to hear some kind of rock music similar to what Tony preferred being blared over the sound system and Kat dancing behind the bar while she restocked bottles and sang along.

Bucky could not help the small smile that slowly appeared on his face as he walked into the room and around to the end of the bar. She continually turned back to the bar with her back to him, so she had no idea he was even there watching her in a moment of complete relaxation and joy. He found her beautiful in that moment of letting her guard down but knew that he had to let her know he was standing. Bucky reached out and tapped her on the shoulder, an action that pulled a high-pitched scream out of her fright as she whipped around and dropped the bottle of rum she had been holding. Bucky’s instincts kicked in as one hand reached out to steady her and the other caught the bottle before it hit the floor.

“Crap,” Kat gasped, attempting to refill her lungs with air and calm down after what she felt was the fright of her life.

Bucky tilted his head to the side with a look on his face that showed he found the whole scene humorous which only served to deepen her scowl. He kept his mechanical hand on her arm until he was sure she was steady on her feet before gently letting her go.

“Holy shit, you’re like stealth!”

“Years of training,” Bucky said with a shrug at the mention of his time with Hydra.

“How did you get in here,” Kat asked cautiously, positive that his years with the evil agency included breaking and entering.

“You left the door unlocked. I knocked, but I doubt you could have heard a bomb go off over that noise.

“Damn it! Cammy’s going to kill me if he finds out I forgot to lock the door again,” Kat said, anxiously chewing her lip in a way that Bucky found adorable, “anything I can do to convince you to keep this between us?”

“I’ll let you know,” Bucky said, feeling comfortable to relax into their friendly banter.

“Sergeant Barnes, are you flirting with me?”

“Possibly,” Bucky said, a shy smirk breaking across his face as he set the bottle on the bar, “but I prefer to think of it as blackmail.”

“Okay,” Kat said, resting her hands on her hips and attempting to give him a stern look, “what do you want?”

“I’m not sure yet, but right now I’ll take a drink,” Bucky mused as he returned to the other side of the bar and sat in his normal spot.

Kat rolled her eyes and turned to grab his favorite bottle of bourbon, pouring him his customary drink and giving him a kind smile. She grabbed the remote while she replaced the bottle and turned down the music.

“What is that you’re playing on the sound system?”

“Guns and Roses’ Appetite for Destruction album. Have you never heard if before?”

“Tony often plays something like that. I believe he calls them AC/DC, but I am not familiar with Guns and what?”

“Guns and Roses. I can make you a list of music you should check out if you’d like. I can’t even imagine what it was like in Hydra, but I could hazard a guess they probably didn’t give you an iPod,” Kat said kindly, pulling out a piece of paper to begin writing him that list. She stopped suddenly, realizing that she had brought up a painful subject he may not want to talk about, but Bucky merely looked at her. She didn’t know it, but he found it refreshing to talk to someone who didn’t walk on eggshells around him or his past.

“I don’t know what an iPod is, to be honest, but I’d rather talk about your interest in epidemiology if you wouldn’t mind?”

“Okay,” Kat asked in a questioning tone as she continued to restock the bar from the boxes at her feet.

“Only if you’re aren’t too busy. I don’t want to keep you from what Cammy needs to you do.”

“Oh, Cammy doesn’t need me to do this. He’s just imposing a forced study break on me by running errands and taking my books with him. I can talk and work.”

“How was your exam?”

“I won’t have the grades for another week, but you said you wanted to talk about epidemiology?”

“I borrowed a book from Bruce to learn more,” Bucky said, missing the way Kat’s head shook slightly in shock as she realized he was talking about Bruce Banner, “and I realized you might be interested in knowing more about the Spanish Flu of 1918. I wasn’t born yet, but my mother told me all about it.”

“Wow,” Kat said, stopping her work to look at him in wonder.

While she was going to have to get over the fact that he dropped Avenger’s names like they were ordinary people, she was still thrown by the fact that his man was literally lost in time. He was captured in the 1940s and now living in a time where his loved ones were gone; now he was attempting to readjust to life in the modern world yet was perfectly content to just talk to her. Bucky took her single-word comment and pause as a negative reaction and moved to stand up.

“Um…don’t worry about it. I should have realized you’re not open yet and not bother you. I’m really sorry,” Bucky said in a low voice, the guarded look returning to his eyes quickly before looking down at the bar.

He grabbed his glass to quickly finish his drink and leave but froze when he felt Kat’s hand take hold of his metal arm and squeeze firmly. Bucky’s eyes shot up to find Kat giving him a kind smile and a look of genuine curiosity.

“You don’t need to leave,” Kat said kindly with a smile, “I would love to hear about your mother’s experiences. In fact, I think that would be amazing. I’m just surprised that of all the people you have to talk to in your life, brilliant and interesting people, you choose to come to a small bar in Brooklyn and talk to me. I’m just a doctor in the last year of her residency.”

“I haven’t felt comfortable talking to anyone except Steve in a really long time, so you’re more than special to me. There are other reasons too.”

“Like what?”

“Your life, what you term as ordinary, is exactly the life I expected to have after the war. I planned on working an ordinary job and starting a family eventually. Now I live an extraordinary life that I sometimes feel trapped in, and that feeling goes away when I’m around you. You don’t treat me as if you’re frightened by me…in fact, why aren’t you afraid of me?”

Kat’s smile transformed into stern concern as she processed his question, “James, why would I be afraid of you?”

Bucky could not answer right away, recovering from the shock of her using his first name, but managed to finally manage to answer, “Because I am or was the Winter Soldier.”

“Well if the news is to be believed, you just returned from Wakanda freshly thawed from a six-month-stay in the deep freeze and no longer conditioned by Hydra, correct?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re allowed to freely leave the Tower without restriction?”

“Yes,” Bucky answered in confusion, not quite sure where this conversation was going.

“Then why should I be afraid of you. By working with the Avengers, you’re trying to make amends and put your life back together after years of hell. You deserve to find peace and a sense of “ordinary” after all you’ve been through. So, to answer your question, no, I am not afraid of you. I happen to be an excellent judge of character, and I find you to be an incredibly brave and kind man.”

Kat did not know it, but those words did a world of good for Bucky at that moment. While the team had welcomed him in, it had not been without an adjustment for him. Tony especially had taken a little longer, which was to be expected, but the general public still tended to react to him with caution because of his past and mechanical arm. The alternative was staying cooped up in the Tower to avoid the public, which in and of itself was exhausting.

“I still have an hour or so before Cammy is back and I need to head to the hospital. Want to see something cool?”

“Um, okay,” Bucky said, unsure but curious about what Kat could possibly have to show him.

Kat smiled, finished putting the bottles up on the bar, and walked around to where Bucky was sitting on a stool. She stopped in front of him and held her hand out, waiting patiently while Bucky considered that she had made it impossible to for him to not use his mechanical hand to take hers. Bucky looked up to where she stood, patiently waiting, and tentatively took her hand with his gloved hand and stood up. She quickly led him out of the barroom and through the door that was normally locked since it led upstairs to her and Cammy’s apartments.

“This one is mine,” Kat said, pointing to the door on the left, “the one on the right is Cammy’s.”

Bucky nodded as Kat opened a door to her apartment and walked in with him in two, closing the door behind him. He was about to ask what exactly was going on when she dropped his hand, walked to the window in her living room, and opened it only to climb out on to the fire escape. He stood in shock as she began to climb upward before turning back and peering back through the window.

“You coming,” Kat asked before disappearing from sight as he heard her climb further upward and away from the window.

Bucky smiled and shook his head before following his new friend out of her own window and up the fire escape onto the roof only to stop in absolute shock at the site. The entire roof was decorated with potted trees strung with white, Christmas lights. In the illumination, Bucky saw Kat standing near a couch and two chaises that surrounded a fire pit with a smile on her face. He turned to look around and stopped in shock yet again at the sight of Manhattan, lit up brilliantly behind the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge as the sun went down.

“Oh, wow,” he whispered in awe.

“Cammy built this place for me when his parents moved me here from upstate. I really missed the quiet of living in the country and was having trouble dealing with everything after my parents died.”

“It’s beautiful.”

“You can come here whenever you like,” Kat said, moving to stand beside him near the edge of the building, looking over the city.

“What do you mean?”

“I know what it’s like needing a safe haven when life seems chaotic, so this can be yours, too. The fire escape only lowers from the second story, but somehow, I don’t think you’ll have trouble making your way up here without coming inside the building. The average person can’t drop in from the roof of the buildings next door given that they are two stories taller, but I’m sure you can. You’re welcome to come here anytime you like, even if we aren’t home, and if I’m in the apartment just come down and knock on my window.”

Bucky turned to her in wonder and took her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze, “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Kat said, squeezing back.

They stood looking at the city, enjoying the companionable silence when they both heard Cammy’s voice flowing out of the window of her apartment.

“Short stack?!”

“We’ll be right down,” Kat said, squeezing Bucky’s hand one more time before they both made their way back down the metal stairs and into her apartment.

Cammy was standing in Kat’s kitchen, unpacking the groceries he had picked up for her when they climbed back through the window. He was a little surprised when Bucky climbed in behind her but made no mention of it as they approached.

“Aw, thanks for picking me up a few things, Cammy.”

“You’ve been working the last three evenings at the hospital, so I figured your fridge was a little empty. What do you want to do for dinner?”

“Actually, I have to head into the hospital again tonight,” Kat said, cringing at the comment that was sure to elicit a bad reaction from her over protective cousin.

“I thought this was your night off,” Cammy said, practically slamming the bottle of detergent he was holding down on the counter.

“It is, but the other residents and I are getting together for a study session at the university library. We’re all up for our board exams in a few weeks, so even though we all work at different hospitals, we figured it would be good to study together.”

“Fine,” Cammy said, knowing full well that scolding her would not work, “but I want you to take a cab home.”

“Cammy, the fare will be ridiculous! Besides, I ride home on the subway every day.”

“True, but you probably won’t leave the library until after midnight and it’s not safe to ride the subway to Brooklyn at that time of night.”

Bucky could see an argument brewing between the two cousins before him and stepped forward before Kat’s look of absolute frustration exploded out of her mouth.

“I can always take you and pick you up for a ride home.”

They both turned in silence and looked at him in confusion that he was interjecting himself into the conversation. Kat shook her head at the entire situation and turned to Bucky with a huff.

“Oh, don’t be silly! I am perfectly capable of riding the subway home, and besides, it will be after midnight when I’ll be needing the ride.”

“I don’t sleep much these days anyway. And besides, you owe me,” Bucky said, throwing a knowing look at Kat while his head motioned in Cammy’s direction.

Kat’s hands came to her hips and her jaw dropped in absolute disgust that Bucky was now cashing in blackmail chip on something as outrageous as Cammy’s overprotective, older cousin complex. When she saw Bucky’s eyes flash an ornery look in her direction, daring her to refuse, she dropped her hands and slumped in defeat.

“Fine,” Kat said, throwing a glare at both of the men in her apartment before turning with a flip of her hair and lightly stomping to her room, “I’ll get my things.”

“Dress warm,” Cammy called just before the door slammed, leaving both men in the kitchen alone.

“Thanks for giving her a ride to the library.”

“It’s no problem. Um,” Bucky said, shifting nervously between his feet, “I hope you don’t mind that I’m spending time with Kat. I know things have changed since the 40s, and I would normally ask her father but given the circumstances…”

“Oh, I’m not stupid enough to tell Kat who she can and cannot spend time with. I’m not suicidal,” Cammy said with a chuckle that made Bucky relax, “but I appreciate you asking. And no, I don’t have a problem with it.”

“Thank you,” Bucky said, letting out the breath he had been holding while Cammy answered.

Cammy was about to say something else but was cut off by the sound of Kat’s door opening and the woman herself entering the living room wearing a leather jacket, stocking cap, gloves, and a backpack.

“I’m ready,” Kat said, zipping up her jacket and smiling at both men, having already forgiven them for conspiring against her. She quickly walked over to Cammy, placing a kiss on his cheek in goodbye, before turning to Bucky with the same outstretched hand.

Bucky looked at her curiously as he walked toward her, expecting her to take his hand only to have her place it through the crook of his arm in the old-fashioned style he was accustomed to with a smile.

“Alright then. I’ll take good care of her,” Bucky said as Kat led him out of her apartment and down the stairs toward the exit.

“I’m sure you will,” Cammy said with a chuckle as they disappeared from his view.

Bucky held the door open for Kat to step outside before him and then led her toward the motorcycle that was parked nearby.

“Is this yours?”

“Yes. Tony found me a vintage model and figured driving something I’m more familiar with than a modern car would be safer while I acclimate for New York traffic.”

“Awesome,” Kat said in excitement as she waited for him to get on the bike and then climbed on behind him with a smile.

Bucky chuckled as he started the engine and waited for Kat to settle herself behind him with her arms wrapped firmly around his waist.

“You ready?”

“Absolutely,” Kat said, resting her chin on his shoulder and squeezing in anticipation as he pulled out into the street and took off down the road. Bucky could not help the grin that appeared on his face at the sound of Kat’s laughter as they drove across the bridge toward the city.


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this one is a little short, but it was a natural place to break. Also if you enjoy my fanfiction, please check out my original work!

Kat stepped out of the outer door of O’Leary’s dressed for a run two days after Bucky had taken her to the library for her study session. She shook her head with a smile at how the night had unfolded when he had come back to pick her up. He was waiting outside of the building, leaning against his motorcycle with his arms crossed over his chest, like it was no big deal that he was picking her up at one in the morning. Wearing his signature leather jacket over a hoodie sweatshirt, Bucky had tucked his chin-length hair up under a red baseball cap so that only his longer, shoulder-length hair showed in the back. Kat was one of the last ones to leave the library, but her friend Janet came walking out behind her and immediately noticed how handsome the man waiting for them was.

“Hmm, who is that?”

“My ride,” Kat said, waiting for the inevitable gushing that Janet was going to do when she recognized the man standing in front of them. Kat even had to admit that he cut quite the handsome figure standing there, his eyes attempting to hide his humor. 

Janet did not disappoint though she thankfully did not scream or doing anything annoying loud at such an ungodly hour. In fact, she managed to only scoot up beside Kat and whisper furiously in her ear, “Isn’t that the Winter Soldier?”

“Yes,” Kat said, her eye roll earning a chuckle from Bucky that he attempted to hide, “goodnight Janet.”

“Goodnight, Kat,” Janet said with a giggle and a smile in Bucky’s direction which he returned politely. 

Kat waited for Janet to begin her walk down the street before walking toward the man waiting in front of her. She was about to say hello when a huge yawn interrupted her speech, causing Bucky to laugh as he reached out and helped her put on her backpack. 

“You look exhausted,” he said placed his hands on her shoulders as she finished yawning.

“Well, I’m glad to see that the rumors about you don’t disappoint. You certainly do know how to sweet talk a lady, Sergeant,” Kat said, attempting witty sarcasm only to stifle another yawn.

“I’m getting there,” Bucky said, giving her a flirtatious smirk as he reached up to button the top of her jacket that she had forgotten to guard against the cold wind, “c’mon, let’s get you home.”

Kat smiled as she took off down the street at an easy pace. The ride home had been spent staying awake though the warmth that Bucky gave off threatened to lull her to sleep the entire time. Once they arrived, Bucky helped off the bike, took her backpack off her, and followed her inside and up the stairs. 

“Can I ask you a question,” Kat said as she unlocked her apartment door and walked inside, flicking on the lights as she went.

“Sure.”

“You said earlier tonight that you like hanging out with Cammy and I because we remind you of the normal life you wanted. Is that why you’ve changed so much in the last few days? I mean the first few days I saw you at the bar, you barely said more than three words to anyone.”

“I think so. I feel like I can be myself here at the bar around you and your family. You don’t judge me for what I’ve done, and I feel more like my old self the more I’m around you. I know that I’ll get there with the team eventually, but I feel less pressured here,” Bucky had said bashfully as he set her bag down on the floor and sat on the couch.

Kat peeled off her coat and winter clothes before dropped on the couch next to him, pulling her shoes off, and turning to she could face him. They sat in comfortable silence for several minutes while he took off his own coat and hat, but they eventually settled into a quiet conversation centering around what Bucky found interesting in the 21st Century. It was his answer to Kat’s question about what he found the most confusing that sent her into a fit of exhausted giggles. 

“Sexual freedom?”

“Well, yeah, I guess that’s what you would call it. In my day, I was considered a ladies man and definitely got away with a lot where women were concerned, but there was still an element of getting to know a woman before it happened.”

“Broke your share of hearts, did you,” Kat said with a knowing smile that had Bucky ducking his head in embarrassment as she speared him with narrowed eyes.

“You already know the answer to that question. What perplexes me is all this online dating and hook up apps, as Sam calls it. No one seems to date anymore or gets to know the person. I’m not saying I didn’t have my share of that back in the 40s, but it seems so callous and shallow these days.

“Not everyone uses those apps, Bucky. I personally love the idea of dating, romance, and being courted by someone,” Kat said with a chuckle and a yawn so big it had to lean her head against the back of the couch with her eyes barely open, “the trouble is finding a guy who is actually worth the effort.”

Bucky sat in wonder as he listened to Kat’s reply to his confusion and curiosity. Here was a woman who wanted the same things as him but had yet to find someone worth the effort. He was sure that her job did not help matters, but Bucky found himself marveling at her until he realized she was almost asleep across from him.

“Hey,” Bucky said, reaching down to shake the foot that was next to his knee, “you should be in bed.”

“I’m fine here,” Kat said with a tired smile as she stretched out further.

Bucky shook his head and laughed softly as he stood and grabbed the blanket he saw off the back of the couch. He gently laid it over her legs and attempted to tuck her in.

“Where you going,” Kat asked sleepily, not bothering to open her eyes.

“I gotta head back, Short Stack. Steve will be up in a few hours for his morning run and will be looking for me.

“What’s the matter, Sergeant, afraid to get caught out all night with me,” Kat had said in a joking manner, knowing he would tell the Avengers who he was spending time with when he was ready.

“It’s not that. I want to tell them, but when I do everything will change. They can be a handful.”

“What do you mean,” Kat had asked in genuine curiosity as her eyes came open.

“Steve has done nothing but mother me since I’ve been back, so he’ll worry; Nat will want to spy on you to ensure I’m spending time with a good person; and Tony’s just nosey. They’ll want to come and check you out, which is something I’d like to avoid as long as possible. I don’t have them harassing you.” 

“Really? The Avengers are going to come to investigate little ole me,” Kat had said, giggling in exhaustion. 

“I know it’s not a big deal, but….” 

“If you want to wait to tell your friends, that’s fine, but you need to know that I don’t mind.”

“You’re sure?”

“They care about you, and I understand that.”

Bucky smiled and told her to go back to sleep, that he would let himself out from the roof. Kat nodded and easily fell back to sleep, leaving Bucky to climb out the window, though she barely heard him leave after he placed a soft kiss to the top of her head. 

Kat’s mind came back to the present as she dodged traffic to cross the street. In the short time, they had spent together, Kat had seen Bucky made incredible strides in opening up to her and those around him. It was nice to see him relax with Cammy and the regulars at the bar enough to make casual conversation and joke around. It did not surprise her that Bucky was protective of his time with them and was not ready to share it yet. 

She crossed the intersection next to Fletcher Street and ran down the block only to stop suddenly when she saw Bucky standing across the street looking up at number fifty-six. Kat jogged across the street and came to a stop next to him.

“Bucky? Are you okay,” she asked in concern at his wistful staring at the two-story house in front of them. 

“Yeah,” Bucky said quietly, looking at the Christmas decorations inside the picture window, “this was the house I grew up in.”

“Oh,” Kat said, looking over at her friend, “do you know who lives there now? Maybe they’ll let you see inside?”

“My great-niece, Rachel, lives there now with her son.”

“Oh, I didn’t know you had any living relatives left. Have you ever met them,” Kat asked kindly, realizing that this may be a sensitive subject. 

“When I returned from Africa, she reached out to Pepper saying that she was interested in meeting with me. She sent an email inviting me to her house whenever I’m ready, considering that she’s the only family I have left.”

“That’s great, Bucky, but I’m gathering by the fact that I found you outside that you haven’t taken her up on her offer.”

“I’ve come by the house several times, but I have yet to work up the nerve to knock on the door.”

“I understand that it’s a complicated situation, but I think it would do you some good. I know if I got a chance to see and talk to my parents again, I would jump at the chance,” Kat said, reaching out to gently touch Bucky’s arm, “whenever you’re ready, I would love to go with you if you like.”

“Thanks. Can I walk you back home,” Bucky said, turning away from the house after one more glance.

“Actually, I am heading to the Chinese restaurant around the corner to grab take out. Would you like to join us for dinner?”

“Chinese food?” 

“Oh, you’re definitely coming home with me now that I know you’ve never had Chinese food. C’mon,” Kat said with a huge grin as she slung her arm through his and practically pulled him down the street. 

Bucky could do nothing but laugh as he walked along beside her toward her intended destination. They walked along, not talking about anything in particular until Kat realized she had something to tell him.

“So, I actually have a weekend off work and studying and was planning on making homemade enchiladas for Cammy and me on Sunday when the bar is closed. Would you like to come over? 

“I have to run upstate to the compound on Saturday morning for some additional medical tests with Dr. Banner and may not get back until late Sunday or early Monday,” Bucky said, disappointment evident in his voice.

“That’s okay. Why don’t you put my number in your phone and you can text me if you’ll be back.”

“How do you text,” Bucky said in an unsure tone as he fished the mobile device Tony had given him out of his pocket and looked between it and Kat in confusion.

“Bucky, did anyone explain to you how to use that thing,” Kat said in concern. 

Bucky smiled as a nervous laugh escaped his lips, “Tony tried explaining but I still haven’t quite…”

“…gotten the hang of it,” Kat finished for him.

Bucky relaxed at the fact that she completely understood his struggle with new technology. They continued to the Chinese restaurant, where she made quick work of picking up the large bag of food that was waiting, and they continued to O’Leary’s. Bucky was surprised when they walked in to find it completely empty. She led him upstairs to her apartment with a smile.

“We don’t open until seven this evening and Cammy had some errands to run,” Kat said in answer to his questioning look, “here, let me see that thing.”  
Bucky watched her hold her hand out before realizing she was asking for his phone. He quickly pulled it back out of his pocket and gave it to her, watching in awe as she began pushing buttons in rapid succession while he pulled cartons of food out of the bag. After several seconds, she places the phone down on the bar between them and helps him finish setting up for dinner. It’s only after he’s began eating that Kat explains how she programed her number into speed dial and that he only has to press one number to call her. Showing an abundance of patience, Kat demonstrates to Bucky how to call and text to anyone in his contacts including her. By the time that they finish eating, Bucky has managed to call her phone and send Steve a text without any prompting from her. The entire dinner was rather entertaining between technical issues and Bucky learning how to use chopsticks. 

Bucky left for his weekend of medical tests with a light-hearted feeling about him. He could not remember the last time he had had this much fun in such a short amount of time. In the week since they had met, Kat seemed to bring more and more sunlight to his days the more time he spent with her.


	4. Four

Bucky returned to the Tower late after finishing dinner with Kat to find only Steve and Bruce still in the common room. 

“Hey Buck, where you been,” Steve asked, curious as to where his friend had been all evening. 

“Same bar in Brooklyn,” Bucky said nonchalantly as he pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge and turned to Bruce, “what time did you want to leave in the morning?”

“How does six sound?”

“Okay,” Bucky said, moving to leave the room but stopped at Bruce’s next question.

“Did you get a chance to talk to your friend about the Spanish Flu?”

“Only a little, but she really enjoyed hearing about it. Thanks, Bruce,” Bucky said, walking past Steve and clapping him on the shoulder, “I need to pack. See you in the morning.”

Steve grunted slightly in acknowledgment as Bucky left the room without another word but immediately turned toward Bruce before the man could escape.

“So, what friend?”

“Huh,” Bruce asked, attempting to look completely innocent and failing miserably.

“Bucky’s mystery friend who he seems to be spending almost every evening with,” Steve said, clarifying his point, “anything you want to share?”

“Not really. Goodnight,” Bruce said, quickly leaving the room before Steve could pose any more questions. 

Bruce rushed past Tony without hardly a word, leaving the billionaire entering into the common room with a perplexed look on his face.

“What’s up with him,” Tony asked, moving to the kitchen cabinet to find some kind of sugary snack to power him through his planned all nightery in the lab.

“Bucky has been disappearing almost every evening for some bar in Brooklyn for the last week but hasn’t said a word to me about it. Bruce seems to know something about a female friend but is keeping it to himself.”

“FRIDAY reported that two nights ago, Bucky was here for most of the evening, left at a little after midnight, and did not return till almost five in the morning,” Tony said, stuffing an Oreo in his mouth and chomping loudly as Steve contemplated the facts in front of him. 

“I don’t understand why Bucky wouldn’t tell me. We’ve been best friends since we were kids.”

“There’s an easy way to find out.”

“What do you mean?”

“His cell phone has GPS tracking on it, so I can easily check where he’s been.”

“That’s another thing! He used his phone to text me this evening when the last I knew he could barely turn the thing on.”

“Sounds like something we should investigate,” Tony said with a smirk on his face. He was constantly prying into the lives of his coworkers through technology, and the opportunity to do so with their newest addition just made his night.

~~~~~~

Steve Rogers pulled his hat down tighter on his head and attempted to look unassuming as he and Tony walked into O’Leary’s wearing nondescript winter coats. They were both wearing baseball caps in an attempt to go unnoticed as they looked around the crowded bar from just inside the door.

“Now what,” Steve asked, not entirely sure Tony’s idea had been a good one. He felt one hundred percent certain Bucky was going to pound him when he found out.

“We blend in,” Tony whispered as he led them into the room and sat at a booth where they could see most of the room. 

“Then you shouldn’t have driven the Porsche,” Steve whispered back furiously, sitting across from Tony and looking around. 

“It’s parked four blocks away, now will you relax!”

Steve shut his mouth and looked around the bar nonchalantly as people began filling up the room. It was nearly six in the evening and there was already a good-sized crowd inside the small Irish pub. It only took a minute for Steve to notice a red-headed woman standing behind the bar wearing a scrubs top, though she was leaning down behind the bar reading something with her head barely visible. 

“Tony?”

“I see her.”

“Now what?”

“We order a drink and don’t draw attention to ourselves,” Tony said, flagging down the man gathering up empty glasses from the table next to them and ordered two beers. 

Cammy took the drink orders with a smile before walking behind the bar to talk to Kat while pulling the beers.

“I think you have visitors,” Cammy said as he filled one glass and grabbed another empty one. 

“Oh, you mean the two stooges in the back booth who attempted to skate in here unseen,” Kat said, continuing to lean her forearms on the back bar while she went over Cammy’s books, “I saw them.”

“And?”

“And nothing. Let them think they were smooth,” Kat said with a chuckle, not once looking up from her work.

Cammy merely shook his head and walked the beers back over to Tony and Steve’s table without a word. Tony paid for the drinks, including a generous tip, and they both sipped their drinks quietly as they watched Kat finish up the books and stand up straight with a stretch. They watched as a sudden fit of sneezing took over the young lady before she turned to the man next to her. 

“Cammy, these look good,” they heard Kat say to the bartender as she handed him the ledger, “now, I need to head to work.”

“I thought they had given you a three-day weekend. You don’t look like you feel good,” Cammy said, pointing at the tell-tale red nose she was sporting.

“Trisha is sick, so I’m covering her shift and I’ll get Monday off instead of tonight. I should be home around seven a.m., and I’m fine. It’s just a cold”

“Okay. Be safe,” Cammy said, pulling Kat in for a side hug and a kiss on the side of her head.

Kat returned the hug and walked out from behind the bar, heading upstairs to grab her coat and bag. She came bounding down the stairs and toward the front door not five minutes later, taking a quick look to see that both men who had been watching her were now nowhere to be seen. Shaking her head with a smile, Kat walked out of the bar and made her way down the street toward the subway station. She immediately felt like she was being followed, so Kat ducked quickly into an alley. 

This action prompted both men to follow her only to come to an abrupt halt upon finding the woman in question standing the middle of the alley facing them, arms crossed across her chest with a smirk on her face, waiting for them. 

“Mr. Stark. Captain Rogers. To what do I owe the pleasure,” Kat asked wryly with a raised eyebrow.

“Um…ma’am…we’re just,” Steve began to stammer, not quite knowing what to say now that they were caught.

“Just coming to get a look at who Bucky has been spending time with,” Tony said with a shrug, realizing they were caught and seeing no need to play games.

“And you thought you two could go unrecognized? That’s a stretch even in these ridiculous disguises,” Kat said with a chuckle at both men, one looking like he got his hand caught in the cookie jar and the other looking mildly impressed.

“We just wanted to check on Bucky. I mean, Manchurian Candidate is not exactly known for sharing,” Tony said, the sarcastic tone and nickname causing Kat to release a good-natured laugh. 

“I’m sorry if we’ve insulted you, ma’am,” Steve said bashfully under Kat’s gaze.

“I’m not insulted. You care about him, and I could never fault you for that,” Kat said, pausing to cover her mouth for another sneeze and turning back to the two in front of her, “so did I pass the test?”

“It wasn’t a test, ma’am, we were just curious. Bucky has come out of his shell more in the last week than I’ve seen since we recovered him, and I just wanted to make sure he was okay. I care about the guy,” Steve said in such a caring tone of voice that Kat could not help but smile at him. 

“Me, too. Now, I’d love to chat gentlemen, but I need to get to work.” 

“I don’t suppose you’d keep this visit to yourself?”

“Oh, you’re not getting off that easy. You just better hope you tell him before I get to,” Kat said with a laugh, stepping around the men and disappearing down the street. 

Tony looked at Steve and could not help the scoffing laugh that escaped him, “Well, she’s a pistol.”

“Well shit,” Steve said, using a well-placed swear word which was rare for him, “and don’t you dare get on me about language.”

Tony laughed, clapped him on the shoulder, and led him back to his car that was parked several blocks away. They were both going to be in for it once Bucky found out, no matter who told him, and Tony knew that Steve would bear the brunt of it. 

~~~~~

Bucky collapsed on his bed at the upstate compound with an exhausted sigh. He had been up at the Avengers Compound since early that morning, and the battery of tests that Bruce and Shuri wanted to run had been exhausting. He was about to close his eyes for a quick snooze when he heard his phone ding. Bucky pulled his phone out of his pocket and smiled as he saw a text from Kat.

“Hey Sarge, I hope your day was successful. I’ve been called in to work the overnight shift tonight, so I may not be able to answer. Just wanted to see how you were doing.”

Bucky could not help but chuckle at how kind-hearted Kat, texting to check on him when she could just have easily waited until he was back to talk to him. He hit reply and slowly texted a reply.

“Everything is going well. There were physical tests today to gauge the strength of my serum, but tomorrow will be rough. They are testing to make sure my mental conditioning is truly gone. Thanks for asking.”

“Of course,” the reply came back swiftly, “I’m sure you’ll do great tomorrow. Oh, I have something hilarious to tell you when you get back. I should be off by six a.m. tomorrow, so if you want to call, I’ll be heading home. I’m starting my shift now, so goodnight.”

Bucky reread the message several times before dropping his phone on his chest and resting his arms above his head with a sigh. He wished that he was spending Kat’s weekend off with her rather than going through the paces with the doctors, but he knew this was important and he would see her soon enough. 

Bucky hauled himself out of bed to grab some food with the few folks that were upstate with him, and then went to bed at an early hour. He wanted to be able to get up at six and talk to Kat before heading back to the labs, positive that talking to her would calm his nerves about what was coming the next day. He was incredibly surprised when he woke up and called her the next morning only to have her not answer. After the fourth unanswered phone call and waiting an hour to make sure she was not still working, Bucky was in a near state of panic as he entered the lab where Bruce and Shuri were waiting.


	5. Five

Bucky paced the lab at the Avengers Compound while Bruce waited on hold with St. Luke’s Hospital.

“And you’re sure she said she was off by six?”

“Positive. I even went back and reread the text message. She should be on her way home,” Bucky said for the third time, though this time his patience was beginning to slip as he ground his teeth in frustration.

“Uh, yes, this is Doctor Banner,” Bruce said, finally reaching the emergency room, “I’m looking for a Dr. Beckett…oh, I see…yes, thank you.”

Bruce ended the call and turned to Bucky with a concerned face, “They said she was sent home at around two a.m. because she was sick. She’s probably just asleep at her apartment and not answering.”

Bruce’s answer did nothing to calm Bucky’s nerves as he continued to pace. At this rate, running any kind of medical or mental screening on him would be a waste of time.

“I can’t explain it Bruce, but something isn’t right. She’s a doctor who is used to being on-call. There is no reason for her not to hear her phone unless something is wrong,” Bucky said, coming to stop to look at Bruce with fear shinning in his eyes.

“Can you call the cousin she lives with?”

“I don’t have his number.”

“Okay,” Bruce said, sighing at the stressful situation and running his fingers through his hair, “you call Steve and have him go over to her apartment to check on her. I’ll go prep the Quinn Jet to fly back to the city. We’ll leave in thirty.”

“Thank you, Bruce,” Bucky said sincerely, dialing Steve’s number as he hurried to his room. Nothing could have prepared him for Steve’s response upon asking for his help.

“Well, she did look sick yesterday when I saw her,” Steve had let slip without thinking.

“What do you mean, when you saw her?”

“Um…,” Steve stumbled, though he was cut off before he could continue.

“You know, we’ll deal with my lack of privacy later. Can you please go check on her? And ask Tony to track down her cousin’s number. His name is Cameron O’Leary.”

“Sure, Buck. I’ll take care of it.”  
Bucky hung up with a sigh of relief and continued to pack his duffle bag. He was slightly irritated that Steve had gone to check out Kat, but he was sort of glad he had now. The feeling gnawing at him that something was not right did not dissipate at all by the time he climbed aboard the Quinn Jet to fly home. 

~~~~~~

Kat’s eyes felt heavy and she attempted to open them with a groan, but they stubbornly stayed closed. She could hear voices talking quietly nearby, leading Kat to think that Cammy was talking on the phone somewhere in her apartment. When she attempted to shift positions toward the voice, Kat realized that something was off and that she was not lying in her own bed. Her sheets were much better than the ones she was lying on, and her pillow smelled different but familiar somehow.  
It took some effort, but Kat finally managed to open her eyes only to find herself in an unfamiliar room with deep blue walls that contained framed black and white photos on it. She turned her head toward the voices only to find Bucky and Tony Stark standing in the doorway talking quietly. Bucky turned toward her before she could say anything and noticed she was awake, a relieved smile breaking across his face as he walked toward the bed and sat down in the chair next to her. 

“Hey, there you are,” Bucky said as he gently took her hand in his while brushing the hair out of her eyes with his metal hand gently. 

“But where am I, exactly,” Kat asked while looking at Tony with an unsure expression.

“Well, that’s a long story,” Bucky said with a chuckle, “first, we need to let Dr. Banner know. FRIDAY?”

“Yes, Sergeant Barnes?”

“What the hell is that,” Kat asked, attempting to sit up though Bucky gently pushed her back down with a chuckle.

“That’s my AI assistant,” Tony said with a smirk at Kat’s reaction as he leaned against the door frame. 

“FRIDAY, could you please let Dr. Banner know that Kat is awake?”

“Certainly, Sergeant Barnes.”

“Bucky, I would really like an explanation,” Kat said, growing nervous and impatient at the lack of answers as to her whereabouts.

Seeing the panic in her eyes, Bucky nodded and gently tucked her back in while he talked, “I tried calling you the morning after I texted you, but you would not answer. I had Bruce call the hospital after the third missed call only to find out that they had sent you home from work sick.”

“I remember that,” Kat said, moving to sit up against her pillows a little to get more comfortable, “I started throwing up, so I figured I had some nasty stomach bug.”

“Well, I called Steve and asked him to go to your house to check on you, which was when I found out about him and Tony’s visit to you while I was gone,” Bucky said, throwing a narrowed glance Tony’s direction before continuing, “When he got to you house, no one would answer so Tony used his suit to sort of break into your house and wake up Cammy.”

“Okay?”

“When they finally got in your apartment, they found you asleep with a one hundred- and three-degree fever. Long story short, Tony flew you here to the Tower in his suit to be treated by Bruce before your fever climbed any higher,” Bucky said, finishing his story quickly as she saw your patience was beginning to run out.

“Wow,” Kat said, not really knowing how to respond to all of the information Bucky had just given her, “thank you, Mr. Stark, for all of this.”

“It’s not problem, Dr. Beckett. Any friend of Bucky’s is more than welcome here.”

“And thank you,” Kat said, reaching out with the hand not attached to an IV line to lay her hand on his cheek, “for caring enough to go to all this trouble.”

“It wasn’t any trouble at all,” Bucky said, his eyes twinkling slightly at the gesture as he took her hand in his and kissed the top and tucking it into his own hand.

Before Tony could embarrass Bucky with a cheesy comment, Bruce came walking into the apartment with a smile on his face.

“Ah, I see our patient is awake. I’m Dr. Bruce Banner, and it’s a pleasure to meet you Dr. Beckett,” Bruce said, stepping up to her IV bag and checking the levels before looking down at her.

“You’re the Hulk,” Kat asked, her tone showing that she did not believe it for a second.

“Guilty. So, how are you feeling?”

“A little achy and tired though I’m sure I’ve been sleeping awhile.”

“You’ve been here for three days, point of fact.”

“Three days?!”

“You contracted a nasty virus of some sort. By the time you were brought here, you were severely dehydrated with a climbing fever. Bucky mentioned something about a rotation in the infectious disease ward?”

“I wore all the required protective gear, Dr. Banner.”

“Nonetheless, I’m analyzing samples of your blood to identify the virus. In a few days, you should be good as new and ready to go home.”

“I can’t stay here for a few days. I have to go back to work,” Kat said in shock, knowing she could not afford to miss any more days of work.

“Wait a minute, Kat, you need to listen to Bruce,” Bucky said, squeezing Kat’s hand only to be rewarded with a narrowed glare. 

“It’s a non-issue,” Tony said, stepping forward to mitigate what looked to be an argument brewing by Kat’s expression, “I’ve contacted the hospital and explained the situation. You’re not expected back to the hospital for at least five days, and it will not affect your contact hours at all or delay your boards.”

“What the…how could you possibly,” Kat stammered, both angry and grateful at the same time but too tired to really do anything about it.

“Looks like you’re stuck here, Short Stack,” Bucky said with a large grin that melted Kat’s anger in an instant at how happy he was to have her around.

“Short Stack,” Tony asked with an amused laugh and smirk on his face, “it’s perfect!”

“Stark,” Bucky said with a warning glance in his direction.

“Nope, it’s official. Dr. Beckett is now officially Short Stack on these premises,” Tony said with an ornery wink in your direction that had a giggle bubbling out as you attempted to cover smile but failed miserably.

“Alright, you two, Dr. Beckett needs her rest. Tony,” Bruce said sternly, nodding for the billionaire to precede him out of the apartment. 

Bucky waited until the apartment door to close before he turned back to where Kat was fighting to keep her eyes open.

“Cammy brought some of your clothes here yesterday for you to change in to once you were awake.”

“I don’t think I’m going to be awake much longer,” Kat said, yawning deeply before looking past Bucky to survey the room again, “is this your apartment?”

“Yes. Go back to sleep, doll,” Bucky said, dropping the term of endearment softly as Kat’s eyes fluttered before closing completely.

“You’ll be here when I get up,” Kat asked in a whisper.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Bucky replied, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to her forehead. He stayed sitting next to her for several minutes, making sure she was going to stay asleep, but eventually made his way out into his kitchen to call Steve and Cammy to let them know what was going on. Talking quietly so as to not wake Kat, Bucky made his way to the couch to lay down several minutes later, hoping to catch up on some of the sleep he had missed over the past three days.


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lack of activity. I was finishing up a semester of grad school, and then I needed to just step away from computers for awhile. Enjoy!

Kat slowly woke up to find sunlight shining dimly through the drawn curtains of Bucky’s apartment. She opened her eyes to an empty apartment and slowly began to stretch her muscles, still sore from the virus that she was most certainly still getting over. As she sat up, Kat immediately noticed that the IV was missing from her left hand and the apartment was completely empty. Glancing around the room, Kat looked up at the ceiling in uncertainty before speaking.

“FRIDAY?”

“Yes, Dr. Beckett?”

“Where is Bucky?”

“Sergeant Barnes is on the training floor with Captain Rogers. He wanted to be notified when you were awake.”

“FRIDAY, please don’t interrupt him. He hasn’t left me alone since I work up yesterday, and I really just want a few minutes to myself.”

“I understand, ma’am. There are some clean clothes on the top of Sergeant Barnes’s dresser, and I’ve already started pouring you a hot bath in his bathroom.”

“Thank you, FRIDAY,” Kat said, slowly making her way out of the bed toward the bathroom, stopping to grab her clean clothes along the way. 

The bathroom certainly did not disappoint. Granted Kat had been inside it before, but those were half-feverish trips that she did not remember much about. She was surprised at the expanse of the room in front of her, a large bathtub stood along the far wall and was currently filling with steaming water and bubbles. There was a stand-alone shower big enough to fit three people, though she was not surprised given Bucky’s large frame, along another wall with a toilet and large one-sink vanity. The counter was free of clutter with only a toothbrush, paste, comb, and a bottle of cologne sitting next to the sink. 

“FRIDAY?”

“Yes, ma’am?”

“Is there any way for someone to bring me toiletries?”

“I believe your cousin left some things on the kitchen table.”

“Thank you,” Kat said, walking back out into the living area of Bucky’s apartment and spotting her duffle bag on his table. She opened it to find everything she would need to stay for the few days it seemed he was going to hold her “hostage” in the Tower. With a chuckle, Kat grabbed the bag and walked back to the bathroom to undress. Moments later, she was sinking into the most heavenly bath she had experienced in a long time. While she lay beneath the water, letting the heat take the ache out of her bones, Kat the events of the last two days. Bucky had been nothing but attentive since she had woken up the day before, going so far as to serve her dinner in bed even though Kat had felt well enough to at least move to the couch. Truth be told, he was driving her a little insane as he seemed to forget that she was also a doctor, but it was rather cute, so her frustration did not last long. Still, she was going to enjoy these few minutes alone. Kat had just quieted her mind and closed her eyes to relax when she heard Bucky’s voice ring throughout his apartment.

“Kat? Hey, Kat,” Bucky hollered as he came in. Upon seeing the bed empty and the bathroom door closed, he immediately walked to the door and knocked.

“Kat?”

“Bucky, I’m in here.”

“Are you okay,” Bucky asked, beginning to open the door but was immediately stopped by Kat’s raised voice. 

“For the love of God, don’t you dare come in here! I’m soaking in your bathtub,” Kat said with a chuckle as the door immediately slammed shut. She could almost see his face blushing through the door as she heard him shift back and forth on the other side of the portal. 

“Um…do you need anything? Should you be in there,” Bucky asked in a hesitant voice.

“Sergeant Barnes,” Kat said, attempting her stern, doctor’s voice, “I assure you that I am well enough to have a bath. I am a doctor, after all. If you really want to help, how about rustling up some breakfast.”

“Sure. I’ll be in the kitchen,” Bucky said and walked quickly out of the room. 

Kat actually managed not to laugh until she was sure he was out of earshot, though with his super-hearing one could never tell. She closed her eyes and settled back against the tub with a smile, taking her time relaxing until the water began to cool off. Only after she was close to shivering did Kat finally wash and step out of the water into a fluffy towel she had found in his cabinets. Kat took her time getting dressed before washing her hair in the sink and wrapping her hair up in a second towel. She emerged from the bathroom dressed in a pair of yoga pants and her favorite NYU Med t-shirt to find Bucky cooking in the kitchen, pausing momentarily to look at the wall between the kitchen and the bathroom as if he could see through it. 

Kat cleared her throat, actually surprised that Bucky had not heard her leave the bathroom, causing him to swing around and look at her.

“Good morning,” Kat said with a smile as she walked toward him and hopped up on a stool that stood next to his kitchen island. 

“Morning, short stack. How are you feeling?”

“I’m feeling much better, so I do wish you wouldn’t worry so much,” Kat said, looking at him with a small smile.

“Sorry,” Bucky said with a chuckle as he set down a plate of eggs and pancakes in front of her. 

“Thank you,” Kat said as she immediately tucked into the food. 

Bucky smiled as he sat on the stool next to her and began eating his breakfast. They ate in companionable silence until both plates were clean. Bucky, having finished first, merely sat and looked at her while Kat finished her food. Once she was finished, he snatched up the plate and began cleaning up.

“So what do you feel like doing today,” Bucky asked as he handed Kat a refill on her cup of coffee.

Before Kat could answer, FRIDAY’s voice rang through the apartment, “Sergeant Barnes, Dr. Banner has requested Dr. Beckett’s presence in his lab for a physical at your earliest convenience.”

“FRIDAY, please tell Bruce that I will be right down,” Kat said without hesitation as she hopped down from her stool and began searching for her shoes. Bucky merely stood leaning his forearms on the counter in amusement. It was not until Kat sat down on his couch to put on her sneakers that she noticed that he was staring at her.

“What?”

“I was going to say you should probably take it easy, but I think if I do, you’d probably throw a shoe at me. You definitely seem to be feeling better.”

“I promise that I’m feeling much better, Bucky,” Kat said as she bounded over to stand next to him, “and I promise to let you know if that changes. Now, why don’t you grab a shower and meet me in Bruce’s lab. I’d like a tour after he’s finished with me.”

“How are you getting to the lab?”

“Easy,” Kat said with a wink, “FRIDAY, will you show me the way?”

“Certainly, Dr. Beckett. Please just follow the arrows.”

“Awesome. I’m getting the hang of this,” Kat said, standing up to tiptoe to plant a kiss on Bucky’s cheek before bounding out of his apartment, leaving Bucky looking at her in awe. He only stood that momentarily before moving to the bathroom to take a shower. If he did not get to Bruce’s lab at a decent time, Kat was likely to be off on an adventure by herself. 

~~~~~~~~  
Kat found Bruce’s lab quite easily with the help of FRIDAY’s arrows and walked in to see Tony and Bruce waiting for her.

“Good morning, short stack,” Tony said with a smile at her appearance as he took a sip of his coffee.

“Tinman,” Kat said with enough sass that Tony nearly choked on his coffee as she whirled by him with a smile and approached Bruce easily.

“Dr. Beckett, would you mind lying on this exam table so I can use the imager to examine you?”

“Bruce, call me Kat please,” she said easily as she did what he requested without a moment’s hesitation, deeply curious by the advanced technology Stark Industries had to offer.

“Okay,” Bruce said with a smile as he sat down and started the machine. 

“This must feel like you’re a kid in a candy store,” Tony said, moving to stand behind Bruce while the imaging arm slowly moved down Kat’s body.

“You definitely have some nice toys,” Kat said, watching as the images appeared on a television mounted behind Tony’s head.

“As soon as the doctor here is finished, I’ll take you on a tour and show you what our medical staff is working with,” Tony said, looking at the monitor over Bruce’s shoulder while he spoke. While he had only known Kat briefly, Tony wanted to make sure she was going to be okay. While her importance to Manchurian Candidate could not be disputed, Tony also felt strangely concerned about her health and well-being.

“I’d love to see your robotics lab as well if you have the time.”

“Really,” Tony asked, looking up in surprise. 

“I was offered a full scholarship to M.I.T., but I declined it for pursue medicine,” Kat said, waiting for the arm to return to its original position before climbing down from the table to join Bruce at the monitor. Neither one of them noticed Tony stepping back and pulling out his paper-thin tablet while talking to FRIDAY.

“The scan shows that your vitals are completely normal, though I recommend taking it easy for a few more days.”

“Tony made sure of that,” Kat said wryly while pointing at the monitor, “can this thing create a three-dimensional model?”

“Absolutely,” Bruce said, dragging his finger across the monitor’s screen to the left, beaming a 3-D model of Kat that hovered just above the exam bed.

“That is so cool. Tony this is amazing…”, Kat started but stopped abruptly upon turning and seeing Tony starring at her in amazement.

“What’s the matter,” Bruce said, noticing the silence in the room.

“There is more to our dear Dr. Beckett than meets the eye,” Tony said in surprise as he effortlessly beamed Kat’s records into thin air in front of them.

“What do you…oh, I see,” Bruce said, looking over the information shimmering in front of them. 

“It’s really not that big of a deal,” Kat said, shifting uncomfortably while Tony began speaking.

“A perfect SAT score at fourteen, several engineering awards by eighteen with every major engineering program in the country banging down your door, and yet you turn it all down to pursue medicine.”

“My medical career…”

“Has been quite brilliant considering you were top of your class at medical school and have already published in epidemiology. I just cannot believe that Barnes found such a diamond in the rough and did not even know it. This is too amazing to pass up.”

Kat stood analyzing the gleam in Tony’s eye before crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at him, “Mr. Stark, exactly what are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking of offering you a job,” Tony said with a serious expression his face as he had FRIDAY take the floating information down.

“A job,” Kat asked, looking between Bruce and Tony in shock. 

“We need to expand our critical medical team to assist when team members are injured on missions and such, and I think you are the perfect candidate. You’ll be finishing your residency in a few weeks and testing for your license. I can offer you a fellowship in emergency care that will blow your mind.”

“Wait…a job? Here at Avenger’s Tower?”

“Well there would be some travel, but yes, you’d be based out of here. I’ll have Pepper draw up something while you’re here the next few days for you to look over. It’s all negotiable of course, but for now, let’s get you to the robotics lab.”

Tony’s string of words came out so quickly that he turned and left the room, typing on his phone, before Kat could fully comprehend what had happened. She merely looked between the open door and Bruce with her mouth hanging open.

“Tony’s brain works really fast, but you’ll get used to it.”

“Coming, Short Stack,” Tony’s voice hollered from outside the room. 

Bruce laughed as Kat collected herself and hurried out to follow Tony down to his robotics lab. Bucky found Bruce at his desk some twenty minutes later fully expecting Kat to still be there.

“She’s perfectly healthy, Bucky, so I wouldn’t worry too much. I would be more worried that Tony has her in the robotics lab and offered her a job,” Bruce said, chuckling at Bucky’s urgent movement out of his office toward the elevators. By the time Bucky reached Tony’s lab, it was his turn to be surprised as he walked in to find Kat hovering three feet off the floor in a pair of Iron Man boots, laughing and having the time of her life.


	7. Seven

Chapter Seven 

Bucky’s shock at finding Kat wearing a pair of Tony’s booster boots was quickly replaced by chuckling and shaking of his head as she hovered around the room, laughing the whole time. It was only when Steve walked in was she willing to finally put both feet on the ground. 

“That was so sick,” Kat said, as she landed and walked out of the boots.

“You’ll can play with the toys any time if you work here,” Tony said, in a tone that said he was hoping to convince her to accept.

“Excuse me, what,” Steve said before Kat could tell Tony to knock it off. 

“Our young, Doctor Beckett here turned down a full ride to M.I.T. in order to pursue medicine. I looked up her records while Banner did her exam, and she has a higher I.Q. than mine. Long story short, I offered her a job.”

Steve and Bucky both stood in shocked silence, looking between Kat and Tony without much to say, so Kat stepped in.

“He’s offered me a medical fellowship here at Stark Industries after I take my certifications next week.”

“We have Bruce…”, Bucky began but Tony interrupted him.

“Bruce is not always up for treating team members when they are injured after a mission, so Short Stack here will act as a back-up medic in the field and a member of the medical staff here in the Tower.”

“If I accept,” Kat said, seeing quickly that Bucky was a little taken back by the whole idea, “now, I do believe that someone promised me a tour.”

Bucky’s expression changed from shock to a relaxed smile as soon as Kat looped her arm through his metal one and stood looking up at him with a smile.

“Yes ma’am. Right this way,” Bucky said, throwing Tony and Steve a look that they would talk later before leading Kat down to the sub-level to start the entire tour. 

Three hours later, they finally reached the fitness center on the top floor after having visited literally every area to include the armory. Bucky had been quite surprised at Kat’s interests in their weapons and gear, but he was quickly learning that petite woman next to him contained many complex layers. By the time they walked into the gym, Bucky could see she was finally starting to tire but knew that asking her to rest before they finished would be met with a resounding “no”.   
Kat perked up slightly when she noticed a large portion of the team using the fitness center. They had met several people throughout the tower but none of Bucky’s teammates. Bucky knew there was no avoiding this with Kat staying in his apartment, so he placed a hand on the small of her back and moved them both further into the room and approached the gym equipment.   
“Um…guys,” Bucky hollered causing everyone to turn their head and then hurry over to meet Kat before he could get out another word. Kat laughed at their excitement as she stepped forward and made her way through the team, receiving hugs from Sam and Clint and a firm handshake and smile from Nat. After several minutes of chatting, Bucky and Kat were left by the entrance as everyone returned to training after some prodding from Steve. Bucky gave her a quick rundown of the training facilities before leading Kat to the common room, where she flopped down on a sofa with a sigh.

“Tired?”

“Oh man, you have no idea,” Kat said with a chuckle and a yawn, “I was hoping to surprise you by making my chicken enchiladas tonight, but I don’t know if I’m up to it.”

Bucky sat down next to her and turned to look at her, “Why don’t you let us handle dinner tonight and we can do that tomorrow. For now, though, we can just sit here and relax.”

“Okay,” Kat said with another yawn as Bucky turned on the television and flipped through the channels to find something to watch. 

Bucky managed to find a movie channel, but when he turned to ask if Kat wanted to watch the movie playing he found her asleep with her head resting on his shoulder. It had all happened so naturally, that Bucky had not even noticed Kat laying her feet across his legs where they were propped up on the coffee table. He sat frozen, a little frightened of how she had positioned herself without his noticing but after a few moments he knew there was nothing else to do but get comfortable. Gently, Bucky managed to dislodge his arm from underneath Kat’s head and wrap it around her shoulder, leaving her head resting against his chest. Bucky left the movie on with the volume low and leaned his head back to catch a few minutes of rest himself. The entire team found them that way thirty minutes later when they attempted to use the common room to make lunch. Steve shook his head as the team collectively decided to go out for lunch and leave the two of them sleeping on the sofa…after taking a few photos with their cell phones of course. 

~~~~  
Kat finally stirred but almost immediately realized that something was not quite as it had been when she felt asleep. She opened her eyes to find herself lying on the sofa in Bucky’s apartment with a blanket draped over her and the man himself nowhere to be found. 

“FRIDAY, how did I get in here?”

“Sergeant Barnes brought you in here an hour ago when he woke up. I do believe he’s up in Mr. Stark’s lab.”

“Thank you,” Kat said, sitting up with a stretch and putting her shoes on which she found sitting underneath the coffee table. She quickly left the apartment and made her way to Tony’s lab to find a heated discussion going on inside.

“She will make a great addition to the team, Barnes, and if you keep her from taking this opportunity that will bolster her career then you’re an incredibly selfish man.”

“As if you’re any better,” Bucky growled at Tony as he turned toward the door but stopped short upon seeing Kat in the doorway, arms crossed and a smirk on her face.

“Mind telling me what’s going on?”

“I had Pepper draw this up today for you to look at,” Tony said, handing Kat a folder of paperwork, “it’s your fellowship offer.”

“Oh,” Kat said, opening the folder and reading the first page, her eyes growing larger and larger as she made her way down the page, “what’s all of this?”

“I realize that leaving your apartment in Brooklyn and moving into the Tower can be daunting, so I am having a space on the medical floor turned in to an apartment for you. This will give you privacy from the team and a space of your own, but it’s a surprise so I won’t tell you the details. I’ve included the salary…”

“That’s ridiculous,” Kat exclaimed, taking another look at the figure quoted on the page, “no fellowship pays this much!”

“It’s non-negotiable,” Tony said without much concern, “you’ll earn every penny.”

“An expense account and car? Tony…”

“Again, non-negotiable. Take some time and look it over, talk to rust bucket over here,” Tony groused with a nod to Bucky, “and let me know after you take your exams. I have a meeting to get to, so I’ll see you both later.”

Tony left the word with a narrowed glare at Bucky but otherwise not another word. Kat set the folder down on a table and absently thumbed through the pages before realizing that Bucky was still standing next to her. 

“What’s the matter,” Kat asked while continuing to read.

“I don’t want you to take this job,” Bucky said enough force to make Kat look up in surprise.

“Excuse me?”

“You’re going to end of getting hurt or worse, and it would be my fault for bringing you into this world. You’re not taking this job!”

Kat stood there stunned for several seconds as Bucky paced back and forth in front of her, clearly agitated by the whole thing. Neither of them noticed that FRIDAY had alerted Steve and Tony of Bucky’s heightened state and both men appeared in the doorway.

“First off, let’s get one thing straight. I work at an emergency room and could get hurt doing any number of things at my job.”

“But…”

“I’m not done,” Kat said, her tone and the anger in her eyes silencing him. He just started to realize he had struck a nerve when she spoke again, “And second, you do not get to tell me what I can and cannot do with my career. You’re my friend Bucky, not my boyfriend or husband, but my friend. We’ve known each other a week and yet you somehow think you get to tell me what I can and cannot do?”

“Well, back…”

“This isn’t the 1940s, Bucky Barnes, and it’s high time you got used to that idea. Now I was patient when you teamed up against me with Cammy about giving me rides and such, but you do not get to make decisions about my future.”

Bucky stood silent, unable to come up with any response that would not get him in more trouble, so he merely nodded at the fuming woman in front of him. 

“Now, I’m going to pack up my things and head home to Brooklyn. You have two weeks to get used to the idea of my working her, Sergeant Barnes.”

“I thought you were staying here a few more days,” Bucky said, a hurt expression falling over his face at her use of his formal name.

“You thought wrong,” Kat said, turning without another word and heading toward the door. She snagged a pin off the table by the door, flipped open the folder to sign the contract, and handed it to Tony.

“Welcome aboard, Dr. Beckett,” Tony said with a smile.

“I’ll be back in two weeks to start. Would you mind calling a cab for me?”

“Nonsense. I’ll have a car ready by the time you are ready to leave. Just let FRIDAY know when you’re done in Barnes’s apartment.”

Tony walked away, leaving Kat standing next to Steve, who kept looking between her and his best friend.

“Captain?”

“Yes? Oh, yes, welcome to the Avengers, Dr. Beckett,” Steve said, finally recovering to form a coherent sentence and shake her hand. 

“Look after him,” Kat said, turning to look once more at Bucky as he approached with a crestfallen look on his face before walking to the elevator without another word. 

Steve and Bucky watched her walk into the lift and the doors closed before Bucky was surprised by a cuff to the back of the head by his best friend.

“Ow…what was that for?”

“For acting like a jackass, Buck!”

“I’m just trying to protect her, Stevie. She could get seriously hurt here.”

“She could get hurt anywhere, Buck, you know better than most that no where in this world is safe. At least, you would get to see her every day.”

“I hadn’t thought of that,” Bucky conceded, rubbing the back of his head, “Now, she’s so angry she probably won’t even speak to me.”

“I think you’ve lost your touch,” Steve said with a smirk before throwing an arm around his shoulder as they walked toward the elevator. 

“What am I going to do?”

“Hey, don’t ask me. The last girlfriend I had was in the 1940s, so you’re on your own on this one.”

“Well, I have to do something to make this up to her.”

“Maybe ask Romanoff…after she’s done laughing at you,” Steve said with a chuckle as the doors closed.


	8. Eight

Eight

Bucky hurried down to his apartment, but the time he arrived there Kat was already gone. He sighed, a mix of guilt and frustration, and threw himself down on his sofa. He could still smell the body spray Kat had been using, some sort of apple that made him think of walking through an orchard and miss her all at the same time. How could he have been so stupid and tell Kat she could not take the job? He had never considered the fact that he could see her every day, an idea that both thrilled and terrified him at the same time. He was developing feelings beyond friendship for the beautiful doctor, and he did not know what to do about it. A headache began to form behind his eyes as he considered that he may have just ruined any chance of being with her as more than just a friend. Moving so he was lying flat on his back, Bucky covered his eyes with his forearm and asked FRIDAY to close the blinds and dim the light. He stayed in his room for the rest of the evening and part of the next morning, sending a message Steve that he needed some time to think and wished to be left alone. 

~~~  
Kat sat quietly in the passenger seat of Tony Porsche as they wove their way through Brooklyn, still not quite believing what had happened. Yes, Bucky had been out of line, but Kat was sure he had not done it maliciously. Still, it had struck a sensitive nerve in her mind and she had snapped on him without any warning. Kat began to rub her head, thinking about the mess she had made, when she heard Tony chuckle next to her.

“What’s so funny?”

“You and Manchurian Candidate…you remind me of Pepper and I when we started out.”

“Yeah? Is that a good thing?”

“Well, we’re engaged if that makes you feel any better. You and Bucky will get this thing worked out, but I must say I would hate to be on the receiving end of your temper when you’re really mad.”

“He didn’t deserve that. Bucky was only trying to look out for me, but when someone tries to make decisions about my life I sort of snap.”

“Bad past experience?”

“One year with a textbook narcissist and controlling asshat is more like it,” Kat said with a sigh as they pulled up in front of the bar.”

“I can vouch for the fact that Bucky is none of those things, but what he is is a man out of time. He grew up during the Great Depression and he cares about you, so I’m not surprised that he said what he did.”

“But…”

“Short stack, listen to me,” Tony said, turning to the young woman next to him, “was Bucky out of line, absolutely. Did he deserve the torrent of anger you threw at him, no. You need to remember his past just as much as he needs to realize it’s the 21st Century.”

“Oh God, I’ve made such a mess of this,” Kat moaned, covering her eyes with her hands and leaning her head back. 

“You both care a lot about each other, even if you haven’t said as much yet, and that tends to make people lash out. You’ll get it all worked out, but I suggest in the meantime that you take some time for yourself before heading back to work.” 

“That sounds like a good idea. I can drive up to my parent’s place for the next two days for some peace and quiet. I haven’t been up there in a while, anyway.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Tony said, picking up his phone and typing out a hasty text, “your car should be here in about an hour.”

“My car? What? Tony…”

“It’s non-negotiable. Besides, how else are you going to get yourself up to Liberty. Now, you go and relax while I take care of everything. We’ll see you in two weeks, and you’ll be super busy so enjoy the downtime.”

“Thanks, Tony,” Kat said, leaning over to give him a kiss on the cheek before getting out of the car.

“Get outta here,” Tony said, flustered at her kind gesture, “and I’m going to go see if I can egg Bucky into admitting his feelings for you.”

“Be nice,” Kat said pointedly before turning and walking into the bar. She found Cammy inside, working on his books, and plopped down on a stool in front of him.

“We need to talk,” Kat said, causing him to look up at her with a worried look given the grin plastered on her face. 

~~~

Bucky walked into Cammy’s bar the next evening and quickly located the man in question over the thick crowd that was packed into the room to watch the Giants play. Cammy saw Bucky looking for him and waved him over to where he was pulling pints behind the bar. 

“Bucky, can I get you anything?”

“No thanks, Cammy. Is Kat upstairs? I’d really like to talk to her.”

“She’s not here,” Cammy said as he served the beers he had been filling and began to fill two more glasses. 

“What do you mean,” Bucky asked, suddenly really concerned.

“She left last night for her parent’s cabin about two hours northeast of here in upstate. Said she needed some time alone, but she did leave you this,” Cammy said, pausing what he was doing to hand an envelope to Bucky.

“Thanks,” Bucky said, sitting down on the stool in front of him and opened the envelope to find a handwritten letter inside. 

“Bucky, I know you probably came to apologize but I need you to know some things first. I am sorry for my reaction to your comments yesterday. While you were out of line, it did not warrant how angry I became at your words. This is much better explained in person, but I need time to clear my head. I’ll see you in a few weeks when I start working at the Tower. All my love, Kat.”

“Huh,” Bucky said forcefully as he sat the letter down on the bar in front of him. 

“Well?”

“She sends me her love,” Bucky said, looking at Cammy in a slightly confused manner.

“Not that,” Cammy said with a chuckle, “did she explain?”

“Um…what,” Bucky said, still attempting to figure out what she meant by “all her love”.

“Bucky,” Cammy said forcefully, snapping his fingers in front of his eyes to get his attention, “my dear, sweet cousin has cared for you since she gave you access to the roof upstairs.”

“How do you know that?”

“Kat rarely lets anyone see that roof, even family, so I’m pretty certain of it. Now the question is do you care for her?”

“Of course, I care about her.”

“As more than a friend?”

“It’s been over seventy years, Cammy, since I had to worry about anything like this. I need some time to figure all of this out, but yes, I do care about her.”

“Then I suggest giving her the time she asked for, but do you mind explaining to me what happened? She said very little aside from the new job and she needed some time.”

“I acted like an idiot,” Bucky bemoaned before explaining what had happened in full to Cammy.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself, Bucky, she’ll explain everything when she comes back. I will say that on Tuesday she will be back at the hospital for work until her exam,” Cammy said with a smirk in Bucky’s direction before walking away to check on customers. 

Bucky chuckled, muttering a quick thank you to Cammy for the tip before standing up and walking out of O’Leary’s with the letter in his jacket pocket. He spent the motorcycle ride back to Manhattan convincing himself that it would all work out okay. Steve was waiting for him at the elevator door when he reached the floor where the apartments were located. 

“Well?”

“She’s in upstate at her parent’s old house, taking a little time for herself.”

“So, you saw her?”

“No, I talked to Cammy and this was waiting for me,” Bucky said, pulling the letter out of his pocket.

“And?”

“She apologized, said we would talk when she started work, and asked for some time to herself. That’s it.”

“And,” Steve asked as they walked down the hall toward their respective doors that were right across from each other.

“And I’m going to do as she asked and give her time,” Bucky said, opening up his door and walking into his dark apartment.

“You want to grab some dinner,” Steve asked, concerned that Bucky was taking the time apart really hard and wanting to keep an eye on him.

“I’m just going to call it a night, Steve, but thank you,” Bucky said, closing the door behind him with a sad smile in Steve’s direction. 

Steve stood there, worried to his core that Bucky was not taking this as well as he normally would. After a couple seconds of consideration, he made his way to Bruce’s lab to discuss with him what they could do. A call was made almost immediately to Wakanda to get Shuri’s point of view and a plan was formulated by the end of the evening. 

~~~~~~  
Kat woke up her last afternoon at her parent’s cabin outside Liberty, New York, feeling refreshed and ready to go back to work. She had spent the last few days readings, hiking, and enjoying the crisp, Fall weather. Sitting outside on the back deck with a cup of coffee, Kat could not help but think that Bucky would enjoy coming up here to the peace and quiet. The thought made her sigh heavily as she did miss his company very much, but they both needed some time to figure things out for themselves. Kat settled herself with the thought there was plenty of time to bring him up here as she stood up and walked back inside the kitchen of her parent’s house. She had just managed to put her mug down when her phone rang, Tony’s name appearing on the screen.

“What’s up Tin Man?”

“Kat…something’s happened here at the Tower.”

Kat stood up straight in a panic at the use of her real name coupled by the concerned tone in his voice, “What’s going on, Tony?”

“Well, Bucky went looking for you at O’Leary’s the night before last to apologize and was pretty disappointed about you taking off to your parent’s cabin. Steve talked to him, and Bucky said he was fine with everything, but he’s had an episode since then.”

“What do you mean an episode?”

“Panic attacks and outbursts almost like his mental conditioning. He’s already broken through several doors and a few windows.”

“Oh my god! I thought that wasn’t possible!”

“It’s not supposed to be, and it may not be his conditioning. Shuri flew in last night from Wakanda and is convinced this isn’t his conditioning. He’s not the Winter Soldier, but he’s experiencing some sort of major neurological event and we haven’t been able to break through. He’s become very unstable, so we have him locked in a secure room, but we need him calm if we’re going to help him. I know you wanted some time, but…”

“I’ll pack up immediately and start the drive back.”

“We don’t have time to wait, so Clint is coming to get you in the jet. He should be touching down right about now,” Kat heard Tony say just before there was a knock on her back door.   
Kat turned to see Clint Barton standing on her back deck and giving her a somber wave. She waved him inside, “How did you know I’d come back.”

“Because it’s Bucky, Short Stack, and you’re a doctor. I’ll send someone up to grab the car and close up the cabin for you. We’ll see you in a bit,” Tony said before hanging up the call. Kat turned and looked at Clint with a sigh.

“Give me five minutes,” she said and pointed to the coffee pot, gesturing for Clint to help himself. 

Clint nodded and made his way into the kitchen while Kat ran upstairs and hurriedly repacked her duffle bag. She pulled on a pair of skinny jeans, t-shirt, and black converse before throwing her pajamas into the bag. Kat jogged into the bathroom and tossed everything into the bag before practically running down the stairs to where Clint was waiting. 

“I think that’s it,” Kat said, turning off the coffee pot and handing her bag to Clint. 

After locking the front door and checking the windows, Kat locked the bag door behind her as they left. Clint led Kat through the line of timber to a clearing fifty yards from her backyard to where the jet was waiting. 

“Why didn’t I hear you approach?”

“It’s rigged for silent running. I didn’t think you would want the neighbors to know that a jet landed near your house,” Clint said with a chuckle.

“There aren’t any neighbors for five miles. That’s why coming up here is so great.”

“Nice. Well, we know for next time at least,” Clint said, ushering Kat on through the cargo ramp and directing her to the co-pilot seat. After dropping her bag and ensuring she was strapped in, Clint had the jet in the air within a few minutes. They sat in silence for the thirty-minute ride to Avenger Tower, though Kat could not help but tense up when they landed on the roof. After thanking Clint for the ride, Kat quickly grabbed her bag and all but ran down the ramp to where Steve and Tony were waiting.

“Where is he,” Kat asked, not able to keep the alarm from her voice.

“He’s down in the sub-level,” Steve said, taking her bag while Tony led the way to the elevator. 

“What happened, Steve?”

“He came back from your cousin’s bar really disappointed but said he was fine. That he just needed the night to work through everything.”

“And?”

“The next morning, he did not come out of his room, so I went looking for him. I found him on the floor next to his bed in the dark shaking from a panic attack. I called Bruce, but he was spiraling and before we knew it, Bucky was in a full meltdown. He started throwing chairs and yelling in Russian before we managed to sedate him. It took four of his to get him down onto the floor long enough for Bruce to stick him.”

“And since he woke up?”

“He’s been pacing the secure room we have him in like an animal,” Tony said in concern, “he responds to his name but not much else at the moment. Shuri is upstairs in medical looking at his brain activity as we speak to figure this out, but she thinks it’s a compounded panic attack that’s causing regression.”

The door to the elevator opened before Kat could reply, and the three of them walked down the hallway. They stopped in front of a large window next to a steel door.

“You’ve got him in here,” Kat asked incredulously as she caught sight of Bucky pacing the room. His hair was falling over his eyes but when Kat did catch a glimpse, his eyes looked flat and cold.

“We built this for the Hulk,” Tony said, motioning to the large room on the other side of the glass with ceilings at least twenty feet tall. 

“I want to go in,” Kat said, motioning toward the door. 

“I don’t know…”

“I don’t care if you like it, dammit, just unlock the door,” Kat said to Tony with a look that brooked no argument. 

Tony heaved a sigh before punching in the security code and holding the door open for her when it released. Kat walked inside and waited until the door was latched before approaching Bucky. He had stopped moving as the soon as the door unlatched and then watched warily as Kat approached. 

“Bucky, it’s me. It’s Kat,” she said, slowly walking toward him. 

Kat was so focused on her face that when he charged at her it caught her completely off guard. Grabbing her by the throat with his metal hand, Bucky shoved her up against the wall and held her there, though not squeezing enough to cut off her airway completely.

“Bucky, stop! I can’t breathe,” Kat managed to choke out, but Bucky just stared into her face with flat eyes and not releasing her. 

Kat could hear Steve and Tony yelling for Bucky to stop as the door opened, but she decided to follow instinct. Grabbing his face between her hands, Kat pulled a shocked Bucky toward her and planted a firm kiss on his lips. The kiss only lasted a few seconds, but as Kat released his face and he moved, she could see his eyes beginning to clear up. 

“Kat,” Bucky whispered, his voice sounding hazy and confused as he suddenly seemed to realize he had her by the throat and released his grip. Kat quickly slid down the wall but Tony managed to catch her before she hit the floor as Bucky quickly backed away to the far corner of the room. Steve, Tony, and Kat watched as Bucky sat on the floor with his back to the corner and tucked his legs up against his chest. 

“Holy shit,” Kat heard him whisper as she walked out of Tony’s grasp toward Bucky.

“Bucky?”

“No,” Bucky said forcefully, putting his hands up to try and keep some distance between them, “don’t come near me. I’m dangerous.”

Kat’s heart broke as she knelt in front of him and took his hands in hers, “I’m not scared of you, James.”

Bucky’s eyes snapped up to her at the sound of her saying his first name and tears gathered in his eyes, “You should be. I could have killed you.”

“You would never kill me, Bucky. And I’m not going anywhere,” Kat said firmly as she took a seat next to him. 

Tony and Steve watched in shock as Bucky curled his massive form to lay his head on Kat’s chest, ragged breathes coming from his lips as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

“I’m so sorry,” Bucky whispered as he attempted to calm down from the shock of what had just happened. 

“Shh…it’s okay. Let’s head upstairs and get you settled in your apartment.”

“I thought you wanted some time to yourself? Wait, how did you get here?”

“There will be time for questions tomorrow, but for now, you need some sleep,” Kat said, releasing Bucky and climbing to her feet. 

Bucky looked up at the hand she offered him to help him stand beside her and gave her a small smile as he grasped it and climbed to his feet. Kat waited until he was steady on his feet before tucking her hand into his and leading him from the secure room to the hallway. Tony and Steve were already waiting out there, having stepped out to give them some privacy once they were sure Bucky was himself again. 

“Shuri’s going to meet you at Bucky’s place to do a portable neuro scan, so she can see what’s happening.”

“Okay,” Kat said, leading Bucky to the elevator with a calm demeanor. Bucky squeezed her hand as the four of them rode the elevator to the residence floor, causing Kat to wrap her hand around his forearm and lead against him. 

It did not take very long for Shuri to scan Bucky’s brain activity and leave to compare the results in Bruce’s lab. After sending Bucky in for a shower, Kat sat down with a sigh at the kitchen table with Tony and Steve hovering nearby.

“Are you okay, Short Stack?”

“Surprisingly, yes. I hope that Shuri can give us some answers, but for now, he needs a good nights’ sleep. I’m just going to crash in here I think.”

“FRIDAY?”

“Yes, boss?”

“Have some pajamas brought down to Sergeant Barnes’ room.”

“They will be right there.”

“Are you sure about staying here,” Steve said, worried about what could happen.

“Not at all. I meant what I said that I’m not scared of Bucky, so please don’t feel the need to hover. I’ll have FRIDAY alert you if anything happens.”

“Steve, you’ll be right across the hall,” Tony said, seeing the pointed look in Kat’s eyes, “let’s let them get some sleep.”

“Sure. Goodnight, Kat.”

“Goodnight, you two,” Kat said with a smile, rising to walk them to the door. 

Not surprisingly, one of Tony’s many assistants was standing outside with some clothes for her to sleep in. Kat quickly changed after the guys had left and sat on Bucky’s bed against the headboard to wait for him to emerge. After twenty minutes, she heard the door open and looked up to see Bucky step out of his bathroom in a t-shirt and basketball shorts. Hair still damp from the shower, she thought he looked miles better than he had downstairs. 

“Hey,” Bucky said, unsure of what to do or say.

“Are you hungry?”

“No. I just feel a little drained.”

“Okay,” Kat said, nonchalantly standing to turn back the covers and slip into the bed where she had been sitting.

“What are you doing,” Bucky asked in alarm. 

“Going to bed,” Kat said like it was the most normal thing in the world for her to climb into his bed. Granted she had slept there before but never with him in bed next to her.

“You’re sleeping in here?”

“What does it look like,” Kat said with a chuckle at Bucky’s shock, “FRIDAY, please close the shades and dim the lights.”

Bucky stood still and watched in surprise as FRIDAY obeyed her command and Kat shifted until she was comfortably laying on her right side, facing inward in the bed, and closed her eyes. 

Kat for her part was determined to wait for Bucky to snap out of it, so she contented herself with lying comfortably in his bed while he processed everything. After what seemed like an eternity, she heard him walk toward the bed and felt him climb in behind her. Kat opened her eyes to see him lying on his side, facing toward her, looking over her face with a worried look. She reached up and gently ran her hand along his cheek.

“Don’t worry, Bucky. I’ll be here with you all night.”

“That’s what worries me,” Bucky tried to explain but was stopped by Kat snuggling herself as close as she could manage and closing her eyes again. 

Bucky lay frozen as Kat positioned herself with her head underneath his chin, nose buried in his t-shirt, and one hand tucked underneath his arm and around his waist. Kat waited patiently for him to relax, which he finally did after a few minutes and draped his arm around her, pulling her close and resting his chin on her head. While he felt Kat go to sleep almost immediately, Bucky lay there for several minutes and enjoyed the feel of her in his arms. Just having her there centered him and made his whole body relax. Bucky drifted off to sleep telling himself he needed to do whatever was possible to keep her next to him.


	9. Chapter 9

Kat felt light on her face and slowly opened her eyes, the sunlight slowly entering Bucky’s bedroom as the blinds automatically opened. It took several seconds for her to come completely awake but when she did, Kat found herself lying on her side with Bucky’s vibranium arm keeping her snug against his chest as the little spoon. Snuggling further back against him, Kat began to trace the patterns in his metal arm, marveling at how the plates shifted in response to her touch. 

“Hmm, that tickles,” Bucky mumbled sleepily into her ear from here his head rested behind hers on the same pillow. 

Kat carefully rolled over to face the man in bed with her, “Good morning, Sergeant.”

“How did you sleep?”

“Really well, actually, though I do miss the sheets in my own bed. How about you?”

“It’s the first night I haven’t had nightmares in a long time. Why do you miss the sheets in your own bed,” Bucky asked in curiosity.

“I sleep on one thousand thread count, Egyptian cotton sheets, Bucky. It’s my one splurge in life.”

“I’m actually a little surprised you’re still here,” Bucky said, moving his metal hand to wipe the sleep out of his eyes.

“Of course, I’m still here. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I could have killed you last night, Kat,” Bucky said, his eyes full of remorse as he reached up to caress her cheek with his metal hand but stopped when he realized what hand he was using.

“Hey,” Kat asked, her voice laced with humor as she took a hold of his metal hand and examining it with her fingers, “what part of I’m not going anywhere wasn’t self-explanatory?”

“I need to you to, though,” Bucky said, taking his hand back and moving back to get a better look at her.

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t have a breakdown every time you’re not with me. With you working here, we could be on opposite sides of the world at any given time. If I can’t keep it together just because you’re not with me, then someone could get killed. I’m sorry, doll, but I need…”

“…time,” Kat finished for him with a sad smile, hearing her own words being echoed back to her.

“Yeah, to figure out how to fix this.”

“I need to know, Bucky, if you see this going anywhere past friendship?”

“I have my own question first. Did you kiss me because you wanted to or was it just a way to snap me out it?”

“I could have just slapped you,” Kat said wryly.

“Fair enough. I would like it to, but I want to be with you because I want to and not because I need to. Does that make sense?”

“Yes, I understand,” Kat said, moving her hand to push his hair out of his eyes with a small smile before pushing herself up into a sitting position. 

Bucky watched as Kat stretched but reached out and caught her arm, “Shit.”

“What?”

“Your neck,” Bucky said, sitting up next to her and brushed her hair back over his shoulder.

Kat felt her neck and noticed her skin was quite tender, so she quickly stood up and walked to Bucky’s bathroom to look in the mirror. He followed slowly behind her and stood against the doorframe as she took in the faint shape of a hand that had formed on her skin. She looked at herself for several seconds before catching his gaze in the mirror. His look was a mix of guilt and terror over what he had done. Kat turned quickly and walked to him, taking both hands in his and ducking her head so he had to look at her. 

“It was not your fault, Bucky. You had no way of knowing what this panic attack could cause, and I walked into that room on my own, remember?”

“But…”

“No buts. You’re going to work with Shuri, figure this out, and come back to me. Do you understand me,” Kat said, her voice holding a note of authority.

“Yes, ma’am,” Bucky said with a chuckle at the idea of Kat giving him orders but the look in her eyes said she was completely serious. 

Kat leaned up on her tiptoes to place a small kiss on his cheek and led the way out of his bathroom.

“I have to work tonight, so I’d best head back to O’Leary’s,” Kat said, gathering up her bag that was sitting on his couch. 

“Okay,” Bucky murmured, inadvertently pouting at the fact that she was leaving so quickly. 

“While your pouting is adorable,” Kat said, approaching him with a smirk, “you asked for time and I’m going to honor that request. Go talk to Shuri and Bruce, find out what’s going on and what needs to be done.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Well, today is Monday, so I’ll be working at the hospital until Friday. My exams are the Tuesday after that.”

“Then you’ll be here,” Bucky said with an ornery smile.

“Yes, and then I’ll be here,” Kat said with a chuckle. 

It was so easy to see that Bucky wanted her around, but he was correct in that he needed to get this incident figured out first. After saying a quick goodbye, Bucky walked Kat out to the lobby of the Avengers Tower to grab a taxi back to Brooklyn, but Tony stopped them just at the door.

“Short stack, where are you going?”

“Home, Tony,” Kat said with a laugh, “I have to work a rotation tonight.”

“Don’t you want to see the progress on your new apartment?”

“How much could you have gotten done in three days?”

“Quite a bit actually. Do you want to see?”

“No, I’d like to be surprised. I’m just going to catch a taxi home.”

“I had an assistant bring your car here early this morning if you want to drive.”

“No, I think I’ll enjoy my last few weeks of public transportation. The car will keep. Goodbye boys,” Kat said with a smile at both men and walked out of the building grab a taxi home. 

“I tell you what, Barnes, you’re a lucky man.”

“You don’t have to tell me that, Stark. I’m fully aware,” Bucky said, turning to walk back to his apartment but stopping when an idea popped in this head.

“Who’s decorating Kat’s new place?”

“Pepper is working with her cousin to get some ideas, why?”

“I have an idea for a surprise.”

Tony turned to Bucky with interest as they made their way back to the elevators with Bucky imparting his knowledge on Kat’s favorite bed linens to the man who could literally find anything.

~~~~~

Kat worked through her overnight rotation without incident, thanking her lucky stars as the sun rose over New York that it had been a relatively quiet evening in the emergency room. After clocking out and changing out of her scrubs, she decided to head up to the Children’s Hospital wing of St. Luke’s to check on some of her favorite long-term patients. 

Fifteen minutes later, Kat was enthralled in a deadly game of Monopoly against four children all intent on bankrupting when Bucky entered the wing. Kat was lying on the floor with her feet in his direction, therefore not seeing him while keeping her eyes firmly on the board. She was so engrossed in the game that she did not notice the kids stop playing and look over her shoulder, whispering amongst themselves. It took several seconds before Kat noticed them.

“Hey now, no secrets during monopoly,” Kat said with a laugh, “what’s going on?”

“Dr. Kat, the Winter Soldier is here,” the closest little girl said in a whisper, pointing behind her. 

Kat’s head snapped around to see Bucky standing a few feet behind her with an amused smirk on his face. He was wearing his usual clothes: leather jacket over a sweatshirt, jeans, and baseball hat. Hands in his pockets, Bucky tried his best not to laugh 

“Bucky,” Kat exclaimed as she climbed off her stomach and onto her feet, “what are you doing here?”

“I needed to talk to you, but the nurses downstairs said you had come up here a while ago. Having fun, I see.”

“Yeah, I just came up to check on the kids and was sucked into a battle of Monopoly. These little twerps like to gang up on me.”

“No, we don’t, Dr. Kat. You’re just not good at Monopoly,” one of the little boys said so matter of factly that Bucky could not help the laugh that escaped him. 

“Hey, don’t encourage them.”

“I need to borrow Dr. Kat for just a second, okay kids,” Bucky said with a smile as he took Kat’s hand and let her away from the kids.

“Ooo,” the entire bunch said with giggles, “Dr. Kat has a boyfriend!”

Kat shook her head as Bucky chuckled, not being able to help how adorable the kids were being.

“Thanks, a lot,” Kat said with a smile, showing she was not really mad. 

“Hey, it’s not my fault.”

“What are you doing here, by the way? I thought you wanted time apart.”

“I do. I just wanted to tell you in person that I’m heading back to Wakanda for a few days,” Bucky said, still holding her hand in his.

“Back in cryofreeze?”

“Not at all. Shuri just wants to run some more scans, and the equipment is in her lab. It will be easier if I go there than to pack up her entire operation.”

“How long will you be gone?”

“That’s just it, I don’t know.”

“Okay,” Kat said, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice. Bucky wanting time was one thing, but him going all the way to Africa was not something she expected. 

“Hey, I’ll be back before you know it,” Bucky said, seeing her disappointment and cupping her face with his metal hand. 

“I know, and I know you need to do this.”

“Dr, Kat, it’s your turn,” one of the kids yelled toward them, making Kat smile.

“Saved by the rugrat. I’ll see you when you get back.”

Bucky leaned down and planted a quick, but tender kiss on Kat’s lips and brushed her chin with his thumb before backing away, “Count on it, doll.”

Kat’s face melted into a goofy smile as he winked at her and walked out of the ward. Damn, that man can be charming, Kat thought as she turned back to the kids waiting for her to finish the game. It did not last much longer as Kat had trouble concentrating after their conversation. On one hand, she could definitely see why he was a ladies man back in the 40s if that short demonstration of charm was any indication. On the other hand, she was very concerned about him going to Africa. She hoped he would find answers but worried, nonetheless. After conceding the game to stop a bloodbath from happening, Kat said a final goodbye to the kids and left the hospital. Trying to keep her mind busy, Kat made a quick list of everything she needed to pack on her subway ride back to Brooklyn. It was going to be a busy two weeks, and Kat needed to stay on top of things. 

Four Weeks Later  
Bucky stood in his temporary apartment in Wakanda, looking out over the beautiful landscape with a cup of coffee in his hand as the sun set. He had been there for four weeks so far, and it had been a long, hard road. Days after days of tests and exams until Shuri had found it…the last remnants of Hydra’s mental programming. He thought back to the end of that first week when she had given him the results. 

“See that,” Shuri had said, pointing to his neuro scan, “that’s subliminal programming. Slightly different than what we removed before and much harder to trace. We probably would have found it that weekend we were at the compound if the doctor had not gotten sick.”

“Huh,” Bucky said in surprise, “can it be removed?”

“Of course, but you’re going to be here for a few weeks. It’s a long, drawn out process that requires putting you in a medically induced coma.”

“Well, that’s better than cryofreeze I guess,” Bucky chuckled, trying to find the humor in a disappointing situation. 

“We will start in a few days, Sergeant Barnes. For now, I’d like you to get some rest while I set up the equipment and computer programs.”

“You’re this is the last of it?”

“I’ve done every examination we have…it’s the last of it. I missed it last time because I assumed that Hydra would not have something this advanced seventy years ago. Are you going to call Dr. Beckett?”

“No,” Bucky said with a sigh.

“But you miss her?”

“Every day, but I need to do this on my own.”

Now, Bucky stood in his apartment in Wakanda three weeks later feeling like he was finally free. It had been a rough, spending days on end in a coma but in the end it had worked. There were times he thought he’d break down if he did not hear Kat’s voice, but he stuck with his plans of taking some time to himself. It helped that he received word from Steve that Kat had passed her licensing exams with flying colors and was officially allowed to practice medicine. Steve had called him to let him know at Kat’s request, since she was trying to respect the space he had asked for. She had started working at the Tower two weeks ago but was still commuting from Brooklyn as her apartment was not finished yet. Still, he could not wait to see her.

Bucky smiled to himself as he put his coffee cup in the sink. He really did miss having the good doctor around and was about to head to Shuri’s lab to ask when he could go home when the doorbell to his apartment rang out. Walking quickly to the door, he was surprised to find the woman in question outside of his door with a concerned look on her face.

“Shuri, what’s wrong?”

“This is on the American news,” Shuri said, turning the tablet to show Bucky the live coverage of a hostage situation at St. Luke’s Hospital, “isn’t that where Dr. Beckett works?”

“Yeah, but she finished work a few weeks ago. She shouldn’t be…”, Bucky started to say but was interrupted by his phone ringing. Fishing it out of his pocket, Bucky saw Steve’s name and answered it quickly.

“Steve, I just saw…”

“Buck, I just talked to Nat. Kat begged off her workout this morning to go see one of the kids in the Children’s Hospital. Apparently, he had a big surgery two days ago, and she wanted to check on him herself.”

“Damn it, but she does love those kids. I’m on my way,” Bucky said, about to end the call abruptly when he heard Tony's voice. 

“Barnes, I've got you covered. Your ride is almost there.”

“What do you mean? How could you get the jet to me so quickly?”

Tony did not have the chance to answer as an alarm sounded. Shuri motioned for Bucky to follow her, having received a message in her earpiece and led him to the nearest landing platform where one of Tony's suits stood, waiting.

"Sergeant Barnes, please step inside," FRIDAY's voice said as the suit opened to reveal itself empty. 

"Tony, I don't know..." 

"Just get in the damn suit, Bucky. FRIDAY will do all the work, and it's the quickest way to get you back. 

Bucky said a quick goodbye and thanks to Shuri, who practically shoved him in the suit and asked to be updated on Dr. Beckett's status as soon as possible. 

"Tony?" 

"I'm here," Tony's voice said as the suit closed around Bucky, "I'll have your things flown back but we need you here. Just don't puke in my suit!" 

"What do you mean?" 

"FRIDAY, bring him home." 

"Yes, boss." 

"Tony, what do you mean...," Bucky attempted to ask again but was interrupted as the boosters on the suit started up and he was hurtled into the atmosphere leaving him unable to talk at all.


	10. Ten

Kat slid down the wall of the supply closet, pain searing through her shoulder where a fresh bullet wound oozed blood down both the outside and inside of her sleeve. Attempting to not pass out due to the pain until she could catch her breath, Kat thought back to the events that had ensured she would be at the hospital today. 

The morning after passing her exams, Kat had been awoken in her apartment by the most obnoxious banging noise imaginable at her door. Exhausted from the exam and slightly hungover from celebrating the night before, Kat had slowly made her way to the door muttering obscenities directed at the person on the other side. Her words came to an abrupt halt upon opening the door to find Nat waiting on the other side dressed in workout clothes. 

“What the hell,” Kat said, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes to ensure the petite spy was actually outside her door. 

“Good morning to you too, sunshine,” Nat said, brushing past her to come inside with a smile, “get dressed and pack a bag with your work clothes.”

“What are you talking about, Agent Romonov,” Kat said, still a little unsure about the woman now standing in her apartment. 

“Today’s your first day of work, which means it’s also your first day of defensive training with me per Steve’s instructions. Now go do as I ask,” Nat said, a tone of authority in her voice that propelled Kat forward.

“He’s a dead man,” Kat muttered, checking the clock to see that it was only six in the morning. After quickly dressing in tights and a sweatshirt to combat the fall chill, Kat quickly packed her duffle bag with everything needed for a shower and work in the medical bay. She walked back out to find Nat sitting on the counter, munching away on an apple from her fridge.

“Make yourself at home.”

“I have,” Nat said, jumping down with a smirk, “now, I will be here every morning for the next week at six to run with you to the tower.”

“We’re running to the tower,” Kat asked incredulously.

“Yes,” Nat said simply, not reacting to Kat’s tone, “so until your apartment is done, I would start keeping clothes in Bucky’s empty apartment. The driver will take your bag for this week, but next week I expect you to run to the tower every morning and report to me in the gym at 0700.”

“Are you serious?”

“Let’s go,” Nat said, not giving Kat the opportunity to think or protest too much by taking her bag and shoving her out of the apartment ahead of her with a smile. 

This abrupt introduction to Natasha Romanov had begun almost four weeks of long-distance running, strength training, and hand-to-hand combat skills that left Kat bruised, sore and exhausted most of the time. While Nat had noted she was a quick learner, the spy had not taken it easy on the doctor even though she was not going to be an agent. Kat had indeed followed Nat’s advice of keeping a suitcase of clothing in Bucky’s apartment, hoping he did not mind her using his shower every morning training or crashing at times on his sofa after a particularly long day of setting up her new medical lab and office. 

Kat smiled, suddenly thankful for Nat’s grueling training regimen, as her words came back into her mind.

“You’re not an agent, but you will be working in dangerous places to help us out. You need to be able to defend yourself if necessary,” she had said before sweeping Kat’s legs out from underneath her and laying her out on the mat. 

That training had been proven more than valuable today after she had begged off training to come to the hospital to see one of her former patients after a bone marrow transplant. What had started out as a regular visit to the pediatrics floor had turned into chaos and hell. Closing her eyes and trying to keep her breathes even, Kat’s mind wondered to earlier that day when she had arrived at the pediatrics floor.   
~~~~  
Kat walked into the Pediatrics department of the hospital wearing a non-medical outfit for the first time in her career. Wearing black, Converse, skinny jeans, and a sweater, Kat breezed through the door with a smile on her face. Nat had agreed to give her the morning off to visit one of her favorite patients, Travis, a twelve-year-old boy who had just received a bone marrow transplant to combat leukemia. While the nurses had good-naturedly ribbed her over her outfit and new, cushy job, the children were all excited that she had shown up. Kat had just gotten to Travis’s room when loud popping could be heard from two floors below before the panic alarm started blaring through the entire hospital. Kat walked out of the exam room to find the kids and nurses frozen before everyone started to scatter in panic.

“Hey,” Kat yelled, bringing the entire room to a halt with an authoritative tone, “everyone calm down and be quiet. We need to get ready to evacuate across the walkway to the other building in case these elevators are compromised, so please stay calm and listen to the nurses.”

Kat waited until people began to follow her directions before walking up to the nurse’s station. She was about to give the nurses some direction but the phone on the desk began to ring so she picked it up. 

“Hello?”

“Kat, is that you? It’s Joan.”

“Do you know what’s going on?”

“There are armed men down here in Emergency wearing masks, Kat,” Joan whispered, “but they haven’t found me yet.”

“Joan, stay calm, okay? Can you tell me how many there are?”

“I can see about fifteen, and I can hear what they’re saying. They are right outside my office door,” Joan said, panic becoming evident in her voice. 

“I need you to stay calm, Joan, and tell me everything you hear.”

“Okay. They are saying something about stealing the drugs and several of them are heading toward our pharmacy. Three of them and the guy that’s telling people what to do are gathering everyone around the nurse’s station and making them sit on the floor with their heads down.”

“Okay, just stay calm and do not make noise. Hide under your…”

“Kat, there are sending someone up to pediatrics!”

“Why?”

“Something about hostages. Kat, a man is heading toward the elevator.”

“Okay, stay as quiet as you can. Hide under your desk and call 911, okay, Joan?”

“Okay,” Joan whispered before hanging up the phone. 

Kat hung up the phone and pulled out her cell phone to shoot Natasha a quick text as she walked toward the elevator. After looking around for a few seconds, she grabbed the fire extinguisher and stood just outside of the door where whoever was going to be leaving the elevator could not see her. Standing patiently for the ding and the door to open, Kat waited until a man in a mask exited before thrusting the butt end of the extinguisher into the side of the man’s face. The force of the blow sent the man to the floor unconscious quicker than Kat had anticipated. As she bent down to make sure he was actually knocked out, Kat noticed the nurses and some of the patients had come into the hallway to watch her. 

“He’s unconscious, so can someone bring me an IV line to tie him up?”

“Dr. Beckett, what is going on,” one of the parents asked. 

“Armed men have taken control of the emergency room to apparently raid the pharmacy and were planning on using some of the children has leverage.”

“What are we going to do?”

“I want you all to move through the causeway to the other building as fast and as quietly as you possibly can. After all the kids are moved, I want you guys to lock the doors on their end of the causeway,” Kat said, directing her directions toward the staff who nodded. Nurses immediately began to gather parents and their children, unplugging IV machines to wheel with them and gathering wheelchairs for those who needed them. The head nurse paused long enough to bring Kat a spare IV line.

“What are you going to do?”

“Attempt to keep them occupied while you evacuate as many people as you can,” Kat said, grabbing the tubing before disarming the unconscious man at her feet. After she had taken everything of value, including two pistols, one rifle, and several flash grenades, she hog tied the man and pushed him into the nearby closet. Gathering up the weapons from the floor, Kat made her way to the elevator and pushed the button for the ground floor. As she disappeared, the nurses began moving the more ambulatory students to the causeway across the hall. 

Kat rode the elevator to the ground floor, attempting to keep her nerves from taking over. She had no idea what she was doing, but she did know that she needed to do something to keep the kids out of harms’ way. She moved to the side of the elevator just as it reached the ground floor and pulled the pin out of one of the flash grenades.

~~~~~~  
Nat heard her phone ding and walked toward the device that was sitting on her kitchen counter. One glance at the text had her running toward the common room, yelling Steve’s name.

“What’s the matter,” Steve said, coming to his feet quickly upon seeing her expression. 

Nat handed him the phone and hit the panic button near the door as he read the message. 

“911! Hostage situation at St. Luke’s. 15 armed men going after meds with kids as human shields. Will hold them off as long as possible.”

Steve looked up as the Tony, Clint, and Thor came running into the room to stand next to Nat. 

“What’s with the panic button,” Tony asked in curiosity. 

“Kat is at St. Luke’s visiting a cancer patient, and she just sent me a text,” Nat said, waiting while the other three men looked at the text. 

“Everyone suit up,” Steve said, sending the entire group rushing out of the room, “I’ll call Bucky. Tony, call General Ross.”  
~~~~~  
The men in the emergency room were moving the hostages to sit against the exterior walls to use as shields when they heard the elevator moving. 

“Hey boss, Ty must be coming back down already with those kids,” the man closest to elevator hollered at the boss who was standing next to the nurse’s station surveying the scene. 

“Good. Tell the men in the pharmacy to hurry the hell up. I want to be out of here before the cops show up.”

Before the man could do as he was told, the door opened. When both men turned, expecting to see their friend, Kat threw the flash grenade out of the elevator and ducked her head to shield her eyes.

“Grenade,” a voice yelled just before it exploded. Kat waited for the bang before running out of the elevator and heading toward the stairwell. She easily sprinted up to the second floor, thankful again for Nat’s training, as she burst out onto the floor to find the entire place on lockdown. Nurses and patients were locked in the rooms with doors barricaded. A few of them waved at her but she motioned for them to stay down and quiet as she hurried several doors down and stopped to unsling the rifle from her back. Laying prone on the floor but also tucked against the wall, Kat hoped that shooting a semi-automatic rifle was similar to the one her dad had taken her hunting with. Flicking the safety off, Kat waited patiently to see if anyone had followed her and hoped she was still a good shot. It only took a few seconds for the rapid sound of footsteps to meet her ears and the door to the stairwell to burst open. Kat took a deep breath and remembered Nat’s words when she had insisted on weapons training: 

“If someone is coming after you, you need to be able to defend yourself with whatever you have. Remember to shoot to kill because they will do the same to you.”

Kat could hear Nat’s voice in her head as she looked up at the nurses and patients for the last time before three men with weapons burst out of the stairwell. She took a deep breath as all of them zeroed in on her and raised their weapons and suppressed the trigger.


	11. Eleven

Kat climbed to her feet, rifle still in hand, slightly in shock at the sight of the three bodies lying at the end of the hallway. She had never killed anyone before, and as she walked toward the bodies Kat could not look away from the blood oozing onto the floor. She saw nurses and patients looking out at her in the periphery of her vision, but her focus was so much on what she had just done that Kat did not hear the pounding of boots coming up the stairs until they were almost to the door. Her head jerked up and she turned on her heel, taking off down the hallway, but Kat had just made it to a hallway intersection when a shot rang out and searing pain burned through her shoulder as a bullet ripped through her flesh. 

Kat cried out as she fell against the wall, but the sound of approaching footsteps had her moving and attempting to ignore the worst pain she had ever felt in her life. Sprinting down the hall, Kat ducked into the next stairwell and sprinted up three more flights of stairs to the Pediatrics wing where she had started and exited the stairwell before the men below her could hear where she went. Knowing she was leaving a trail of blood behind, Kat ducked into the now empty wing with a sigh of relief that the nurses had managed to evacuate everyone. 

This was how Kat now found herself in the supply closet of the wing, leaning up against the wall and attempting to not pass out as she poured alcohol into her wound and stuffing it with gauze she had grabbed from the shelves. Aside from passing out, Kat was trying to think of what to do once the men caught up to her but for now, she would take just staying conscious. 

~~~

The leader of the group, Alpha One as he was called by his men, paced the emergency room like a caged animal while he waited for his men to report in.

“Status report,” he growled into the radio impatiently. 

“Three men down, Alpha One. We hit her in the shoulder, but she took off up the stairs leaving a trail of blood behind.”

“Who in the hell is this woman,” the leader mumbled to himself before turning back to the radio, “find her and kill her!”

“Yes, sir.”

Alpha One moved to walk toward the other end of the room when a male voice called out behind him.

“You may not want to do that!”

He turned around to see that one of the male doctors lining the wall with his hands bound had spoken up.

“And why is that,” Alpha One said, motioning to his men to put the man on his feet. Muttering started from the other staff for the man to keep his mouth shut, but one harsh look from him silenced them.

“The woman your men are chasing works with the Avengers. You may want to keep her alive.”

“And why are you offering this piece of advice?”

“I value my own life, and the longer you’re in here, the less likely it is that I’ll get out of here.”

Alpha One considered the man’s point before nodding to him to sit back down and grabbed his radio.

“Don’t kill her. Just make her very uncomfortable before you bring her to me.”

“Roger that.”

Kat heard footsteps approaching and attempted to move further back into the closet but froze and covered her head as shots rang out and bullets flew through the door above her head. Momentarily caught off guard, she was unprepared for the door to be wrenched open and to be dragged out by her legs into the room. The flurry of kicks to her body left her stunned and heaving for breath on the floor. Not given any time to recover, Kat found herself hauled to her feet and her hands bound with a zip tie before being shoved toward the elevator bank with three men holding their rifles on her. By the time she was able to catch her breath, she was being shoved out of the elevator door on the first floor to stand in front of a man holding a telephone and talking to someone outside the building.

“When you get in touch with the Avengers, tell them we have one of their own,” Alpha One said with a smile as he took in the woman before him and hung up the phone, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Beckett.”

Kat heaved a huge sigh, mixed with fear and frustration, before turning her eyes to the man standing next to the leader with his hands unbound and narrowing them in anger. Dr. Frank Siegel, a man she had turned down dinner dates with on several occasions, had traded her for his own life. Kat attempted to burst forward from the man who was holding her arm by placing a well-aimed elbow into his ribs, moving toward Frank with the intent do him serious physical harm but was stopped by the right hook to her jaw. Partially doubled over due to the force of the punch, Kat was yanked back to her original spot by the man she had elbowed who looked ready to murder her. Looking back at Frank with rage in her eyes, Kat saw him step back even though she was unlikely to make another attempt to get her hands on him. The leader stepped between them with a snarl.

“The only reason you’re alive is…”

“The only reason I’m alive is that you need a bargaining chip with the Avengers to get yourselves out of this. I’m just a co-worker, so I wouldn’t hold your breath in terms of getting a favorable outcome.”

“She’s lying,” Frank said, stepping forward again but staying well behind the leader, “she’s dating one of them.”

“That’s interesting,” Alpha One said, moving away from them to look out the window and think about the situation.

“Frank,” Kat said, pausing to spit some blood out of her mouth due to her split lip, “when we get out of here, you’re going to wish you had kept your mouth shut.”

“Whatever,” Frank said with confidence but still moved well away from Kat.

Alpha One continued to look out the window at the growing number of police vehicles surrounding the building, but his scan of the waiting crowd stalled upon seeing a black, military-style personnel carrier pull up on the far left. 

“They’re here,” Alpha One said with a grim expression on his face that he allowed no one to see. This was supposed to be an easy, smash and grab job. It was turning into an absolute nightmare, leaving him no choice but to place his hopes of survival on how much the Avengers valued the female doctor standing behind him.

~~~~~  
Clint threw the personnel carrier into park and quickly climbed out from behind the steering wheel as the back door opened as Steve, Natasha, and Thor climbed out and looked around. Steve stepped forward into the crowd of police officers looking at them in a mix of surprise and awe.

“Can someone please get me the lead negotiator of this crisis?”

“Right here, Captain. Lieutenant Ables,” an older man in tactical gear and a headset on stepped out of the crown and moved to shake his hand, “I didn’t know this was an Avengers situation, and it’s rather ironic that you guys just showed up.”

“Why is that?”

“Cause suspects inside just asked to speak to the Avengers. Apparently they have one of your team inside, so would you mind explaining what you’re doing here when I haven’t even called yet”, Ables asked, hands on his hips.

“Absolutely,” Steve said, but was interrupted as Tony landed right behind him, surprising the police into jumping away and raising their weapons at him. 

“Easy guys,” Tony said, his helmet flipped open to reveal his amusement at their reaction to his arrival. 

“Great,” Nat said, throwing an exasperated look in Tony’s direction before going over to talk to Clint, who immediately took off into the crowd. 

“One of our team members is a former doctor at this hospital, and she was visiting the pediatrics wing this morning when this all happened. She sent us a text explaining the situation…”

“Which was what, exactly?”

“Apparently, around ten armed men took control of the emergency room with the intent of cleaning out the pharmacy of all controlled substances and use the children from the pediatrics wing to escape. She sent that to us in a text message, and we haven’t heard from her since.”

Lieutenant Ables pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration at the added complication, “We just received a phone call from whoever is in charge of these men. They say that they have your doctor and want to negotiate with you.”

Steve was about to offer taking over the negotiations when yelling could be heard coming through Ables’s headset. He took a minute to listen to it before turning back toward the Avengers standing before him. 

“Any of you mind telling me why in the hell is another Iron Man suit flying in here when Mr. Stark is already standing in front of me?”

“Dr. Beckett’s better half is was in Africa when this whole thing started, and we need all hands on deck,” Tony said. 

“Plus, he’s the best person to make sure she comes out safely,” Steve added. 

“And who is this person?”

“Sergeant Barnes,” Steve said, noticing the man’s face visibly pale.

“The Winter Soldier is your doctor’s better half,” Ables said in disbelief.

“Well…,” Tony and Steve said at the same time before both chuckled.

“In truth, she’s the better half most of the time,” Steve continued but was interrupted by Bucky’s voice through the earpiece he was wearing. 

“Tony, could I please have somewhere private to get out of this thing,” Bucky asked over the coms.

“Got you covered. We’ll meet you at the southwest corner,” Tony said before taking off to head that direction. 

“We’ll take over the negotiations from here, Lieutenant.”

“Roger that,” Ables said as he watched Captain America and Thor run through the crowd toward the southwest corner of the hospital. Sam, carrying Bucky’s gear, and Nat joined the three men just as the additional suit came into site and landed out of view of the crowd. They watch in amusement as the suit all but spits Bucky out, whereupon he fell to his knees to throw up on the pavement.

“You all right there, Frosty,” Sam asks in amusement. 

“I’ll take the jet any day of the week,” Bucky says as he rises to his feet, “now, who has my gear?”

Sam hands Bucky his gear and Steve steps forward to give him the rundown as he straps on a gun belt. He adjusts the holsters on both hips and takes the pistols that Sam is waiting to hand him as well as the knives that went on the back of his belt. 

“A group of armed men took control of the emergency room this morning with the intent to raid the pharmacy. They are still holding everyone hostage.”

“How does Kat figure into this?”

“She texted Nat this morning after the whole thing started. Something about the men attempting to use the kids from the pediatrics wing as bargaining chips to ensure their escape. Kat said she was going to buy us some time.”

“Of course, she did,” Bucky said in exasperation. He was about to ask another question when a nurse came running up to their group.

“Um…Captain America?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“My name is Tina, and I’m a nurse from the Peds wing inside the hospital.”

“Did you see Dr. Beckett?”

“That’s the thing. A man from the hostage-takers came up to our floor to take several kids, and Kat knocked him unconscious as he came out of the elevator. We tied him up and threw him in a closet, but Kat said she was going to keep the rest of them busy while we got the kids across the bridge between the buildings,” Tina said, motioning above their heads toward what she was talking about, “I haven’t seen her since she disappeared into the elevator, but we would never have gotten all the kids out if it hadn’t been for her.”

“Thank you, Tina,” Steve said before turning back to the group, “where’s Barton?”

“Doing what Barton does,” Nat said dryly, motioning to the hospital, “he said something about the ventilation systems.”

“What’s the plan, Steve,” Bucky asked, practically vibrating where he was standing.

“The plan is to walk in the front door, or at least Tony and I,” Steve said, “after they release the rest of the hostages. If they want to talk to us, they’re going to get all of us, so the rest of you are going to enter the ER from the other access points. Nat and Bucky from the elevator bank and Thor and Sam from the other end of the first floor.”

“Got it,” everyone said and began to disperse, but Steve stopped Bucky.

“I need you to keep cool, buddy.”

“I got it.” 

The Avengers split into their respective teams, leaving Steve and Tony to head to the front of the standoff where Ables was keeping his men calm.

“Your orders, Captain?”

“I’d like to talk to whoever is in charge,” Steve said, waiting patiently while Ables redialed the nurse’s station in the ER and handed the phone to him.

“I’m listening,” the voice said on the other end.

“This is Captain Rogers. Who am I speaking with?”

“You may call me Alpha One. I do believe I have one of your own, Captain. Care to say hello, Doctor,” he asked a note of bravado in his voice.

Steve heard Kat’s voice tell him to rot in hell before it sounded like she took a punch.

“I’m going to tell you something right now, Alpha One. If you want any chance of walking out of there alive, you’re going to do exactly what I say.”

“And why is that?”

“Because if not, I’m going to unleash hell on that hospital. Dr. Beckett’s life be damned,” Steve said, steel in his voice as he waited for a response. When he received none, Steve continued, “I want all of the civilian hostages released and in five minutes. Otherwise, I’m sending the team in full board, and I’m sure you know what that means.”

Steve hung up before Alpha One could reply and turned to see some very stressed police officers looking at him while Tony smirked.

“Wow, Captain, I’m surprised you had it in you to lie like that,” Tony said with a scoff before lowering his mask so he could scan through the building’s walls. 

“Please tell me you’re bluffing,” Ables said, clearly panicked by the turn of events.

“Sort of,” Steve said, watching the hospital doors intently, “I’m giving the rest of the team time to get in position.”

Ables was about to have a meltdown when the doors opened and lines of people with their hands tied began to empty from the emergency room. Steve and Tony approached the last man out.

“Are you the last one?”

“They still have that lady doctor in there, and they’ve been pounding on her,” the man said in concern.

“We’ll take care of it. Ables, make sure they all see medical,” Steve said as he nodded to Tony and they both walked in through the sliding doors of the emergency room. The sight in front of them was as both men expected. Kat was positioned on her knees as a crowd of five men stood behind her, guns trained on her head. Steve immediately spotted the leader off to the side by the telephone.

“Good evening, gentlemen,” Alpha One said as they walked further into the room.

“Short stack, you good,” Tony asked, having FRIDAY scan her for injuries. Thankfully they were superficial. 

“Great,” Kat said sarcastically, brushing her hair out of her face with her bound hands to reveal several bruises and a busted lip.

“So, I have it on good authority that Dr. Beckett is not only a member of your team but also is romantically linked to one of you. Now, I know Mr. Stark here is taken, so is it you, Captain Rogers,” Alpha One said, reading too much into Steve’s look of concern.

“Buddy, you’re going to wish that I was her boyfriend,” Steve said with a shake of his head.

“Why is that?”

Before Steve could answer, the elevator doors opened with a loud ding noise to the right of everyone in the room. Everything that followed for the next thirty seconds seemed to happen in slow-motion as Nat and Bucky exited the elevator while Sam and Thor approached from the left. While the rest of his team took in the fact that they were now backed up against a wall with no exit, Alpha One watched in growing alarm as Bucky’s expression went from neutral to one of murderous rage as his eyes fell on Kat. 

"Because I am," Bucky said, having heard the conversation through the walls.

“Welcome home, Buck,” Kat said with a satisfied chuckle upon seeing the leader’s face pale a little. 

“You doin okay, doll?”

“Sure,” Kat said as Alpha One hauled her to her feet and placed her in front of him, suddenly extremely aware that his team was boxed in. Placing a pistol to the side of her head, his eyes kept darting between Avengers. 

“Now, unless you want your doctor to be missing ahead, we are going to walk out of here. I want an escort out of the city, and then we’ll let her go.”

“That’s not going to happen,” Bucky said darkly, his hand going to the handle of one of his guns.

Kat swallowed in concern as she watched his eyes go almost black before moving her eyes toward Tony to find his helmet back down over his face and several small projectiles coming out of his suit, ready to fire. To add to the tense atmosphere, thunder could be heard outside of the building and everyone turned to see lightning spark on Thor’s hands.

“Oh shit,” Kat muttered at the realization that there was no way Steve was going to agree to her leaving with these men. Alpha One’s team began to mutter to themselves and each other in panic as they each turned to put an Avenger on the other end of their weapons.

“Here’s how it’s going to go,” Steve said calmly, giving Kat a wink of reassurance, “if you guys want the option of walking out of here alive, you’re going to drop your weapons and let Dr. Beckett go. That is the only option you have.”

Alpha One moved the gun to point at Steve, foolishly letting fear cloud his judgment, “You really think you can kill us before I blow her brains out.”

“Hawkeye, take it,” Steve said as out of nowhere, an arrow came sailing into the room. Kat felt something warm splatter against her face as the arrow landed in Alpha One’s left eye socket and his body tensed up. It all happened so fast that by the time she turned to see what had happened, his hand had released her, and the body was falling limply to the floor. Upon seeing their boss taken out in a matter of seconds, the rest of the team dropped their weapons almost immediately. Kat looked up to see Clint dropping out of an air shaft to land just a few feet from her.

“Nice shot,” Kat said breathlessly with a smile, earning herself a wink from Clint as he went to retrieve his arrow. 

“Sorry about the mess,” Clint said, motioning to her face. 

Kat reached a hand up to swipe at her face and pulled her hand down to see blood splatter covering her fingers. Everything seemed frozen for a split second as she looked down at her hand as reality sank in as to what had just happened. Then everything seemed to fast forward to Kat as the whole room burst into action. Bucky was by her side in an instant, cutting the zip tie with his knife to release her hands before pulling her against his chest with his arms wrapped around her. Kat returned the hug, taking comfort in his tight embrace as the adrenaline began to wear off, but was quickly moved away from him so he could get a good look at her, his hands coming up to cradle her face. 

“Are you okay?”

“A little worse for wear, but I’m okay,” Kat said shakily as Tony and Steve walked toward them, “Nat, there is a guy tied up in the supply closet on the 5th floor and three men dead on the 3rd.”

“We’ll take care of it,” Nat said, walking past her with one of the men to take him outside, “but I must say its impressive.”

Kat chuckled at the approval in her voice and gaze before turning back to the three men who stood in front of her. It was only then that Bucky noticed the wound in her shoulder.

“You’re shot,” he exclaimed moving to examine the wound.

“It’s a through and through to the shoulder, I’ll be fine. The staff here should be able to patch me up,” Kat said, but with the adrenaline stopping, she felt herself start to shake a little. 

All three men noticed the tell-tale signs of shock, so Steve moved quickly to take control of the situation. 

“Tony, I want you to fly Kat back to the Tower so Bruce can examine her, and Bucky will meet you there,” Steve said, his tone leaving room for argument when Bucky moved to say he could take her, and Kat began to repeat that the staff here would do fine.

“You’re going to let Bruce examine you, and it’s not up for debate,” Steve said firmly. 

Both men nodded and everyone moved toward the exit before Kat could get another word in, Bucky propelling her forward with a hand at her elbow. They had just stepped out of the doors when Kat noticed the emergency room staff hurrying forward to see if she was okay with Frank in the lead. The bastard did not even bother to look remorseful for throwing her under the bus, so as soon as he was in front of her, Kat yanked her good arm out of Bucky’s grasp to lay a punch across Frank’s face. 

“That’s for ratting me out, asshole,” Kat said furiously as he stumbled backward. Steve immediately had a hand on the man’s shoulder as Bucky moved to put himself in front of Kat.

“Kat,” Steve asked in question.

“He told the hostage-takers who I was in order to save his own skin.”

Bucky took a step forward, but Steve immediately stepped in front of him, “Get Kat back to the Tower, Bucky. I’ll handle him.”

Bucky glared at Frank from around Steve’s shoulder before returning to where Kat was standing with Tony. 

“I wasn’t awake for the last ride, so this should be fun,” Kat said, temporarily forgetting about the whole ordeal in light of what was about to happen. 

“I’ll see you there,” Bucky said, placing a kiss on top of her head before releasing her to Tony.

“Don’t worry, popscicle, I’ll take good care of her,” Tony said before grabbing Kat in a hug and lifting off the ground to fly to the Tower.

“Go on, Buck,” Steve said, pointing to Bucky’s motorcycle that Tony had delivered, “I’ll stay here and clean up this mess.”

Bucky nodded and jogged toward his bike, extremely happy that Kat was going to be fine and that he did not have to fly in the suit again.


	12. Twelve

Bucky pulled into the underground parking complex of the Tower to find the entire facility on lockdown. As he parked and turned off his bike, he could hear FRIDAY’s voice over the sound system. 

“Sergeant Barnes, your presence is requested outside your apartment by Mr. Stark.”

“What? Why?”

Video footage appeared on the wall near the access door as FRIDAY felt it would be better to show him what had happened, “By the time Mr. Stark landed on the platform, Dr. Beckett’s heartrate was escalating.”

Bucky watched as Tony set Kat down and walked out of the suit as she began to panic. 

“Let’s get you into medical so Bruce can have a look at you, Short Stack.”

Bucky watched as Kat refused to walk forward with him as her breathing became quicker and her complexion paled a bit. Tony was forced to stop and turn back toward her.

“Short stack?”

“Tony, please just take me home. I can’t be here right now.”

“You need to be looked at and have your shoulder stitched up,” Tony said gently, recognizing the tell-tale signs of someone on the verge of a full-blown panic attack. 

“Tony…please,” Kat said, begging him to just fly her back to her apartment in Brooklyn. 

“I’m sorry, Kat. I agree with Steve, and you really don’t need to be alone right now. No matter how much it feels…” Tony began, reaching out to her in order to take a hold of her arm. 

It was absolutely the worst thing Tony could have done as Kat reacted defensively, taking his hand and twisting his arm around before flipping Tony onto his back quicker than he could react. Kat released his hand almost immediately and took off toward the stairwell. 

“FRIDAY, lock down the exits,” Tony gasped, attempting to catch his breath while also climbing to his feet.

Bucky stood in shock as the image disappeared and the elevator doors opened next to him. 

“So why my apartment, FRIDAY,” Bucky said, stepping into the elevator.

“Dr. Beckett locked herself in there once she realized she could not leave the building. Mr. Stark thinks you have a better chance of getting her to come out.”

Bucky did not have a chance to say much more as the elevator arrived on his floor and he exited to find Tony and Bruce standing outside of his door. 

“Finally,” Tony said in exasperation, “what the hell took you so long?”

“FRIDAY showed me the security footage from the landing platform. You doing alright tin man,” Bucky said with a snicker before turning a serious face toward the locked door to his apartment. 

“Fine,” Tony said with a glare before his features relaxed, “she’s refusing to come out or even speak to us at this point.”

“She’s having a panic attack, Tony, of course, she wants to go home. Kat would probably prefer to break down not surrounded by a building full of coworkers or strangers for that matter. Give me a minute,” Bucky said, pushing in his security code to override the locks on the door. 

When the door opened, Bucky went inside quietly and locked it back behind him. He knew exactly what Kat was going through but also knew that Tony and Steve were right. She needed medical care before anything else, and he needed to appeal to her rational, medical side. Bucky moved into the living room with enough noise to let Kat know he was there but was quickly drawn to the bathroom where he heard her throwing up. He pushed the semi-closed door open to find Kat on her knees in front of the toilet before moving forward quickly to kneel down next to her and pull her hair away from her face. After Kat seemed to have finished, Bucky gently picked her up with him as he stood, flushed the toilet, closed the lid and sat her on top of it. He grabbed a towel off the nearby rack and knelt in front of her. 

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Bucky whispered as Kat caught her breath and tears streamed down her face.

“I came in here after FRIDAY locked the building. I was…”

“…having a panic attack. I know what that’s like, Kat, and so does Tony and Bruce,” Bucky said as he reached up to grasp her face in his hands but she attempted to pull away. 

“You don’t want this on your hands, Bucky, I’m covered in brain matter,” Kat said, trying to push his hands away to no avail while Bucky grasped her face firmly and chuckled. 

“I’ve been covered in worse, trust me. Kat, look at me and breathe,” Bucky said firmly, waiting patiently until her eyes met his even if they were clouded and jittery.

“I just want to go home. Please, Bucky, let me go home. I can patch up my shoulder there,” Kat said, her voice wobbling.

“Look, I know you scared and exhausted. You’ve been through more today than most people experience in their wholes lives, but I need you to think like the doctor you are. You’ve suffered severe trauma today aside from a gunshot to the shoulder. If you weren’t the patient, what would you say,” Bucky asked gently, waiting with their faces still close to one another until her eyes cleared and she came back to center.

“That I need medical care immediately.”

“There’s my girl,” Bucky whispered with a smile as Kat began to take deep breaths and calm down. 

“But I’m not, am I,” Kat asked removing Bucky’s hands from her face and holding them firmly, “you liked me because my life was ordinary, and it’s not like that anymore. Today just proves that the minute I agreed to work here that my life become opposite of normal, and that’s not what you want…”

Bucky managed to wrestle his metal hand free and grasp Kat’s jaw, stopping her rambling with a firm kiss on the mouth that had her frozen in place. Once she responded by kissing him back, Buck pulled back but kept a hold of her. 

“What we are or will be is a discussion for another day, but I’m not going anywhere. Do you understand me, Katherine?”

Kat looked into his eyes at the use of her full name and saw the same firm conviction she had had when he was spiraling all those weeks ago. It was a little intimidating to be on the receiving end of an intense Bucky Barnes, but she had no doubt about his feelings toward her. 

“Now that we’ve settled that, let’s get you checked over by Bruce, who I am sure is a little panicked himself outside my door.”

“Is Tony okay,” Kat asked as she allowed Bucky to pull her to her feet. 

With a hand on the small of her back, Bucky led her toward his front door with a snicker, “He’s fine, but I must say that was a pretty impressive move.”

Kat could hear the pride in his voice but was unable to respond as the door opened and she was enveloped into a hug by two huge, green arms. She looked up to find Bruce fully transitioned into Hulk who was wearing a weird, concerned expression on his face.

“Short stack, okay?”

“Uh…yes, I am okay,” Kat said rather nervous as this was her first experience with Hulk rather than Bruce, hugging him back. It did not last long though as Hulk began to grow smaller almost immediately. Kat stepped back to find Hulk disappearing and Bruce coming back though his clothes were absolutely shredded. Bucky and Tony snickered as Bruce stood in front of Kat holding his shredding pants and shirt in place over his crotch. 

“Um…I’ll met you up in medical,” Bruce said, face going red in embarrassment as he turned and hurried toward the elevator. Kat could not help but laugh as the elevator doors closed behind him before turning to Tony with regret on her face. 

“Tony, I’m sorry.”

“No apologies needed, short stack,” Tony said, pulling her into a gentle side hug, being mindful of her shoulder, “I will say though, you’re full of surprises. Let’s get you upstairs.”

Tony released Kat and walked toward the elevator. Bucky stretched out his left arm, metal hand glinting in the fluorescent lighting, and gave Kat a gentle smile. Smiling in return, Kat took his hand in hers and they followed Tony into the elevator. By the time Bruce walked into the medical department, Kat was sitting on an exam table cleaning up her face with wipes and Bucky’s assistance in the hard to reach places. Steve had arrived and was standing nearby watching his best friend in amusement as he fussed over her while talking with Tony. Kat noticed him walk in and gave him a kind, amused smile causing him to clear his throat and move swiftly to her side. No one said anything, but Bruce was certain that Tony had already told Steve what had happened by the smile on his face. 

“Let’s have a look at this,” Bruce said, looking at the wound in her shoulder that had some gauze on it but was clearly soaked through, “I’m going to need her to remove her shirt, so gentlemen if you wouldn’t mind waiting outside.”

Steve and Tony nodded and walked out of the room quickly but when Bucky did not follow, they both stuck their heads back inside. 

“Buck, you coming,” Steve asked.

“He’s staying,” Kat said firmly though Bucky did not look unsure about staying. In fact, he looked at Steve like he was crazy for implying that he walk out of the room. 

“Alright, then,” Steve said with a chuckle as the door closed behind both of them. 

Bruce prepped his instruments while Bucky helped Kat peel off the bloody sweatshirt and t-shirt she had been wearing, leaving her sports bra in place. Bruce turned around with gloves on and administered a local anesthetic before he began removing the makeshift bandage and cleaning the wound. Bucky stood next to Kat’s leg, alternating between watching Bruce work and watching Kat watching Bruce work. 

“Well, you were right. It went all the way through, and it doesn’t look to have damaged anything.”

“Good,” Kat said, wincing now and then as he thoroughly cleaned the hole in her shoulder.

“I want you to take a day or two off of work to rest and decompress from all of this. No physical training for at least two to three weeks,” Bruce said, beginning to stitch the front of the wound together. 

“Okay.”

“Bucky, I’m counting on you to make sure she rests and to keep an eye on her,” Bruce said, giving Kat a stern look to do as he said.

“Absolutely.”

Kat heaved a sigh and nodded in agreement, “Alright, I promise.”

Bruce nodded and moved to close the wound on her back while Bucky leaned in and planted a kiss on top of her head. Kat was beginning to feel exhaustion set in as Bruce finished up his work and taped clean bandages over the stitches. 

“She’s going to need a clean shirt,” Bruce said absently. 

“I have some clothes in Bucky’s apartment.”

“You do,” Bucky asked in surprise.

“I was sleeping on the sofa in my office on really late nights, so Steve had me move to your couch. I started keeping a bag of clothes and things in there just in case. I hope you don’t mind,” Kat said, concerned that they had not asked Bucky. 

“Of course, I don’t mind. I’m wondering why you weren’t sleeping in the bed?”

“I didn’t want to presume,” Kat said to him with a small smile.

“I’ll go grab you a change of clothes and then take you home.”

Kat nodded as Bucky left the room to gather what she needed. By the time he came back with her duffle bag in hand, he had changed out of his gear. Wearing jeans and his leather jacket, Bucky was happy to find Kat waiting and ready to leave. He wanted to get her home so she could get some sleep. After helping her into a clean shirt and zip-up sweatshirt, Bucky and Kat said goodbye to Bruce and rode the elevator down to the lobby. 

“Tony has a car waiting out front,” Bucky said, holding her hand firmly and leading her out to the waiting sedan. 

By the time they crossed the East River into Brooklyn, Kat had nodded off with her head resting on Bucky’s shoulder. He woke her when they pulled up to O’Learys and the climbed out of the car after thanking the driver. Cammy saw them when they walked in as the bar had just opened. It was only five-thirty in the evening but Kat was fading like she had been awake for over twenty-four hours. After a quick word, Kat led Bucky upstairs to her apartment and walked in. Turning on the lights, Kat gently took off her sweatshirt while Bucky put the bag on her coffee table and took off his jacket. 

“I think I’m going to get in bed, so if you don’t want to stay…”

“Hey,” Bucky said, walking toward her and gently rubbing his hands on her upper arms, “why do you think I brought the whole bag? I’m staying with here.”

Kat nodded and leaned her head against his chest as he pulled her in for a hug. Bucky wrapped his arms around her and rested his cheek on top of her head. 

“I feel exhausted.”

“Go ahead and get in bed. I’ll order us something to eat after you’ve had a few hours of sleep.”

“Okay,” Kat said, tilting her head up to look at him.

Bucky leaned down and placed a sweet kiss on her lips before releasing her from his grasp. Kat gladly kissed him back before walking into her bedroom and closing the door partly so she could change into her pajamas. She climbed into bed and was fast asleep within seconds of her head hitting the pillow.


End file.
